Southern Illinois University
23-12, 7-2
Bradley
8-31, 1-10
Softball sweeps series with run-rule win over Bradley
04/10/2011 | 12:00:00 | Softball
April 10, 2011
By Megan Kramper
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill - Southern Illinois used powerful bats to run-rule Bradley for the second time in the weekend and took home a series sweep with a 11-3 win on Sunday.
The struggling Braves (8-31, 1-10 MVC) struck early with a three-run home run from K.C. Miller in the top of the first, but the Salukis would strike right back in the bottom of the same inning as Taylor Orsburn hit her sixth home run of the season with a three run shot to tie the game.
Head coach Kerri Blaylock said that she knew her team could battle back especially after the pre-game speech she gave her team before Sunday's game.
"My whole pre-game speech was how you have to be O.K. with getting behind and coming back and we really did that today," Blaylock said.
SIU (23-12, 7-2 MVC) scored at least one run in the next five consecutive innings including a Natalee Weissinger solo home run, her first bomb of the season in the fifth inning.
Three Salukis had at least two hits or more including good hitting performances from freshman including Allie VadeBoncouer going 3-for-3 while Taylor Orsburn and sophomore Morgan Barchan both added two hits apiece. Jayna Spivey also added a hit in the effort and Blaylock praised the efforts of the underclassmen especially in the weekend series.
"What makes them (underclassmen) so good right now is that they have the ability to perform under pressure and they can get the job done along with having confidence," Blaylock said.
The Salukis also got hits from Mallory Duran, Cristina Trapani, and Chelsea Held in the effort.
Alex Peters came in to the game in the second inning, in relief of starter Danielle Glosson, as she pitched 5.0 innings in the win, moving her record to 8-3 on the season.
SIU goes back on the road again in a mid-week matchup with UT-Martin on Thursday and pays a visit to Indiana State in a three game conference series next weekend.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Peters, Alex (8-3)
L: Lindsay Hufeld (3-14)
Batting:
HR: KayCee Miller 1
RBI: KayCee Miller 3
SH: Alison Kresl 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Julie Sherman 1 ; Alex Chandler 1 ; KayCee Miller 1
SB: Jackie Roth 1
Batting:
2B: Orsburn, Taylor 1 ; Spivey, Jayna 1
HR: Orsburn, Taylor 1 ; Weissinger, Natalee 1
RBI: Duran, Mallory 1 ; Barchan, Morgan 1 ; Orsburn, Taylor 5 ; VadeBoncouer, Allie 2 ; Weissinger, Natalee 1
SH: Bradley, Michelle 1 ; Weissinger, Natalee 1
SF: Duran, Mallory 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Duran, Mallory 2 ; Barchan, Morgan 1 ; Gorman, Haley 1 ; Trapani, Cristina 2 ; Orsburn, Taylor 1 ; Shelton, Sydney 1 ; VadeBoncouer, Allie 1 ; Ashton, Kelsea 1 ; Weissinger, Natalee 1
SB: Duran, Mallory 1
HBP: VadeBoncouer, Allie 1 ; Weissinger, Natalee 1
