Softball splits with Illinois State in Saturday doubleheader

Saturday, April 30

Normal, Ill.

2:00 PM

Southern Illinois University

33-14, 15-4

Illinois State

32-15, 18-4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Southern Illinois	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	1
Illinois State	1	1	0	3	1	0	X	6	13	0

04/30/2011 | 12:00:00 | Softball

Box Score

April 30, 2011

Box Score

By Megan Kramper
SIUSalukis.com

NORMAL, Ill. - The SIU softball team came from behind in game one but couldn't follow it up as it fell in game two, splitting with Illinois State in Saturday's doubleheader.

The Missouri Valley Conference's top two teams battled in game one as the Salukis squeezed by with 7-4 victory but couldn't get anything going as they were shutout in game two 6-0.

The Salukis (33-14, 15-4 MVC) and Redbirds (32-15, 18-4 MVC) will meet tomorrow for the rubber match at noon.

"We know what we need to do, if we can just execute tomorrow, and we knew coming up to here that we wanted a chance to win the series and we have everything in our hands and you can't be that," Head coach Kerri Blaylock said.

SIU 7, Illinois State 4
SIU used seven runs off six hits in the final two innings as it came from behind to defeat the Redbirds in game one.

The Redbirds led through five innings including 3-0 lead coming into the Salukis big sixth inning, backed by pitcher Jordan Birch's one-hitter.

But the Salukis bats came alive as Birch walked two batters allowing Jayna Spivey to step to the plate for her 11th home run of the season, tying the game at 3-3.

"Jayna came up with a big two out hit, she trusted what (assistant coach) Jen Sewell told her to do at the plate and she started us and it just kept rolling," Blaylock said.

The Redbirds tried to stop the bleeding as they brought in Megan Warner to pitch but she loaded the bases on two walks and a single by Natalee Weissinger.

Mallory Duran stepped to the plate and drew a bases loaded walk to put the Salukis on top for the first time in the game and ended the sixth with a 4-3 lead.

Overall, the Redbirds issued 10 walks in the game to the Salukis.

The Salukis managed to hold the Redbirds in the bottom of the sixth while scoring four runs in the seventh, giving them some insurance en route to the victory.

It was the same story in the seventh for the Dawgs as Birch would reenter the game after Warner walked two batters but couldn't contain Chelsea Held as she hit a two run double while Allie VadeBoncouer added an RBI single in the inning.

The Redbirds got one run in the bottom of the seventh but Danielle Glosson was able to work her way out of a jam to notch the victory.

Haley Gorman also added a 2-for-3 effort in the game, two doubles, as she held the Salukis only hit through the first five innings.

Glosson moved to 22-8 while improving her personal win streak to 11 games and her ninth MVC win in a row. The senior also tossed eight strikeouts in the game.

"She (Danielle) is doing a really good understanding that Illinois State is going to get their hits because they're that good of a ball club and we just had to manage that and she came up with big strikeouts at big times and settled in giving us great effort," Blaylock said.

Illinois State 6, SIU 0
Illinois State's Kara Nelson started off the game with an inside the park home run and the Salukis never recovered as they were shutout in game two.

The Salukis allowed five hits in the first four innings, 13 total, including a two run home run from Abby Olson in the fourth.

Jayna Spivey led things from the plate for the Salukis with a 2-for-3 performance as Trapani, VadeBoncouer, and Gorman added hits for the Salukis, but were unable to string anything together to get runs across the plate.

Pitcher Alex Peters picked up the loss, moving her to 10-5 on the season and 5-2 in MVC play as she struck out three while Glosson came in for 2.1 innings of work in relief of Peters.