Softball falls to Drake in MVC Tournament semifinals
05/13/2011 | 12:00:00 | Softball
May 13, 2011
By Megan Kramper
SIUSalukis.com
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Missouri Valley Conference Tournament blues continued for the SIU softball team as it fell to No. 2 seed Drake in the semifinal game at Killian Softball Stadium.
The Salukis (36-17, 17-6 MVC) looked to reach the tournament championship game for the second consecutive year, but failed to keep its lead against the Bulldogs falling 4-1. They also couldn't reverse a 20 year-long drought of not bringing home a tournament championship.
"I'm not one of those people who believes in all that stuff just because its been an `X' amount of years because there are a lot of team's who haven't won it," Head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "I just wished that things would be different and that we could pull the trigger but I also wish earlier in the year to win some games that may have put us in a chance for an at-large (bid) that now isn't there."
Despite taking an early 1-0 lead off this year's MVC Pitcher of the Year Jenna DeLong, the Salukis couldn't stop the Bulldogs who capitalized off a Saluki error and Jordan Gronewald home run to take the lead and eventually the game.
Drake's Brynne Dordel shut down the Salukis as she allowed just two hits in six innings of work in relief of DeLong.
"I thought Drake did a good job of making a pitching change because we were kind of on DeLong and they brought in Dordel and she did a great job of shutting us down," Blaylock said.
The Salukis came out hot in the first, as Mallory Duran got things started with a double while Morgan Barchan followed up with an RBI single to give them the early 1-0 lead.
Jayna Spivey and Chelsea Held continued with back-to-back singles to start the second inning, but after that the Saluki bats fell quiet as Drake's Brynne Dordel came in relief of DeLong to seal the win.
Blaylock said she felt like the team had good momentum early, but may have taken back in Drake's pitching change that ultimately sealed the Salukis fate.
Overall, the Salukis had six hits in the game, including all but two coming in the first two innings.
Drake would pick up two more runs in the sixth, off a single and wild pitch to give them some insurance late in the ball game.
Alex Peters picked up the loss as she finished her career as a Saluki with an 11-6 record as she came in for 2.2 innings of work in relief of Danielle Glosson, who started the game in the circle.
Peters and Glosson were two of five seniors to play in their final game in an SIU uniform as Cristina Trapani, Natalee Weissinger, and Chelsea Held all wrapped up their careers.
"It's always emotional and it's just a great, great senior class," Blaylock said. "They have trusted the coaching staff like you would not believe and everything we've told them they've trusted and to me they did everything we asked them too."
