Southern Illinois University
17-8, 5-1
Creighton
12-13, 3-3
Softball drops series finale to Creighton
03/25/2012 | 12:00:00 | Softball
March 25, 2012
By Megan Kramper
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois softball team couldn't hold on to an early lead as it fell to Creighton the series finale Sunday at Charlotte West Stadium.
The Salukis (17-8, 5-1 MVC) were looking to complete the three-game sweep of the Bluejays for the first time in program history, but couldn't hold on to an early 5-0 lead as they struggled in the final few innings.
"Creighton hit the ball well and Alyssa made two bad pitches and the walks contributed to the loss and allowed extra runners to score and offensively our mojo went away and we let them get up later on," SIU head coach Kerri Blaylock said.
Mallory Duran-Sellers started the game off with a leadoff home run in the first and Kelsea Ashton and Taylor Orsburn reached base on walks before Jayna Spivey hit a three-run home run to put the Dawgs up with a 4-0 lead.
They added to the lead with an Ashton RBI single in the second while the Bluejays added three runs of their own in the third off a home run.
The Saluki pitching staff struggled on the afternoon as all runs accounted for were earned as Katie Bertelsen (6-4, 1-1 MVC) picked up the loss. She replaced starter Alyssa Wunderlich who went five innings giving up five runs and three walks.
Offensively, the Salukis had just two hits after the third inning as Creighton (12-13, 3-3 MVC) came from behind in the sixth with three runs to tie the game and in the seventh with the go ahead run off an RBI single from Alexis Cantu.
"They're a good hitting team and did a great job and we need to be better in certain situations and I think today is where we saw our lack of maturity come in," Blaylock said.
The Salukis had an opportunity to score in the bottom of the seventh as Orsburn reached third on a two error play, but Creighton pitcher Becca Changstrom retired the next three of four Saluki hitters.
Spivey led the Salukis on offense, as they managed just six hits in the contest. She went 2-for-4 while Duran-Sellers, Ashton, Gorman, and Wilson all added a hit each.
The Salukis begin mid-week action Tuesday as they head to SIU Edwardsville for a single game beginning at 3 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Changstrom, Becca (6-7)
L: Bertelsen, Katie (6-4)
Batting:
2B: Lingl, Bri 1 ; Ruf, Christa 1
HR: Lingl, Bri 1 ; Baker, Amy 1
RBI: Lingl, Bri 3 ; Cantu, Alexis 1 ; Baker, Amy 2 ; Ruf, Christa 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mathewson, Allie 1 ; Lingl, Bri 1 ; Flodman, Taylor 1 ; Perry, Emily 1 ; Baker, Amy 1 ; Frutos, Ashley 1 ; Ruf, Christa 1
Batting:
HR: Duran-Sellers, Mallory 1 ; Spivey, Jayna 1
RBI: Duran-Sellers, Mallory 1 ; Ashton, Kelsea 1 ; Spivey, Jayna 3 ; Wilson, Meredith 1
SF: Wilson, Meredith 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Duran-Sellers, Mallory 2 ; VadeBoncouer, Allie 1 ; Kimball, Kara 1 ; Orsburn, Taylor 1 ; Spivey, Jayna 1
SB: Duran-Sellers, Mallory 1 ; Gorman, Haley 1
HBP: VadeBoncouer, Allie 1
