Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Softball comes home to face SIUE
04/18/2011 | 12:00:00 | Softball
April 18, 2011
By Megan Kramper
SIUSalukis.com
Game Information
Southern Illinois Salukis (27-12, 10-2 MVC) vs. SIU-Edwardsville Cougars (22-21, 14-7 OVC)
Game No. 40 • Carbondale, Ill. • April 19, 2011
Location:Charlotte West Stadium
Radio: Saluki Game Central (Play-by-play with Patrick Erickson, color by Bret Beherns)
Stats: Gametracker or stats.siu.edu
ON DECK: SIU-EDWARDSVILLE
Last time they met: On April 29, 2010 in Edwardsville, Ill. where the Salukis defeated the Cougars 8-0 in five innings. The two teams were schedule to meet twice this season (once in the Coach B Classic and once on March 15) but both games were rained out. Only the single game on March 15 was rescheduled (today's game). All-time record: SIU is 33-6 all-time against the Cougars.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
The Cougars come into Tuesday's match up on fire, as they extended their win streak to seven with OVC sweeps of Tennessee Tech and Eastern Kentucky in back-to-back weekend. Overall, they are 22-21 on the season and 14-7 in the Ohio Valley Conference. They are led by second baseman Taylor Tooley who has a team high .358 batting average with eight doubles, five home rurns, 25 RBIs, and is 7-for-11 in stolen bases. First base/designated player Rachel Coonrood holds the next best average with a .311 with six doubles, one triple, three home runs and 25 RBI. Kasey Schlafke leads the team in RBI with 29 while Pagie Sheeder has a team high six home runs. Erika Taylor leads the pitching staff with a 2.60 ERA in 177.2 innings pitched with a 15-11 record overall.
WHAT A WEEKEND
In a wild three game series, the Salukis came out with a sweep over Indiana State as they scored 36 runs off 36 hits. A combined 63 hits were recorded in three games, as the Salukis came away with 16-14, 8-5, and 12-7 wins. Every Saluki who stepped to the plate walked away with at least one hit as they hit six home runs, seven doubles, and stole eight bases.
TRAPANI NAMED MVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior catcher Cristina Trapani earned her first weekly honors in her career as she was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week. Trapani came to impress last week as she went 6-for-15 holding a .400 average with two doubles and three home runs. The senior catcher launched all three home runs in the conference series against Indiana State including a grand slam, her second of the season, in game one and two, two RBI long balls in game three to tie a Saluki single game record for home runs. Trapani recorded 12 RBIs on the week and 17 total bases while maintaining a 1.133 slugging percentage and drew two walks.
EIGHT IS GREAT
With four wins last week including victories over UT-Martin and a sweep of Indiana State, the Salukis extended their winning streak to eight games dating back to April 6, when they shutout EIU 2-0 in Charleston, Ill. Their longest streak of the season was five, when they went 5-0 in play at Moe's Green and Blue Invite in Ft. Myers, Fla. on Feb 25-27. The Salukis also currently have won their last five home games
THREE TIE SINGLE-GAME RECORDS
Morgan Barchan, Cristina Trapani, and Michelle Bradley all tied single game records in the series against Indian State this weekend. Barchan tied a 15-year-old record with her five hits in game three against the Sycamores on Sunday in game two. She went a perfect 5-for-5 from the plate and the last time a Saluki recorded five hits was almost 15 years to the date, when Jen Feldmeier had five against Creighton on April 27, 1996. Trapani and Barchan both tied the record for most home runs in a game with two, which was last done by Katie Wagner in 2008. Trapani hit two home runs in game three with the Sycamores while Bradley launched both her long balls in game one of the series.
OVC NO MATCH FOR SALUKIS
Coming into Tuesday's match up, the Salukis hold a 3-0 record against OVC schools this season and have allowed no runs against the conference. The Salukis defeated UT-Martin on April 14 (6-0) SEMO (10-0, five innings) and EIU (2-0) this season.
