Southern Illinois University
19-9, 6-2
Illinois State
20-14, 6-2
Softball splits doubleheader with Illinois State
03/31/2012 | 12:00:00 | Softball
March 31, 2012
By Megan Kramper
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois softball team rallied in game two as it split Saturday's Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader with Illinois State at Charlotte West Stadium.
The Salukis (19-9, 6-2) couldn't get anything going in game one, as they were shut out for just the third time this season in a 5-0 loss before rebounding in game two with a 6-1 win.
"We had a game plan and I don't think we followed it very well in the first game but they (Illinois State) scored two earned runs off of us in two games and they are a great team and we have to come out and make adjustments because they have really great pitching," SIU Head coach Kerri Blaylock said.
The Redbirds (20-14, 6-2) used a big second inning to take the opener as they scored all five of their runs in the inning off four hits and a Saluki error. Three of the runs scored in the inning were after the error was committed.
Katie Bertelsen threw a solid game but picked up her fifth loss of the year, moving her to 7-5 overall and 1-2 in the MVC.
Offensively, the Salukis couldn't get going against ISU's Jordan Birch, the league's leader in wins. Birch had five strikeouts, didn't allow a walk and gave up just five hits in the game.
Kelsea Ashton, Haley Gorman, Taylor Orsburn, Meredith Wilson, and Alicia Junker each had a hit, but the Salukis couldn't string enough of them together to push a run across.
Illinois State worked quickly in game two to score the first run but Kalyn Harker tied the game on a two-out single in the bottom of the second.
"Kalyn can do that if she relaxes and she's the type of person who is a perfectionist and softball isn't perfect but I thought she stepped up big time and had a great game for us," Blaylock said.
The Dawgs got help from Ashton who continued her hot performance at the plate with a two-run double to help put the lead in the home team's favor.
Alyssa Wunderlich worked the Salukis out of two-out, bases-loaded jams in the last two innings to earn her first save of the season. Starter Brittney Lang improved to 4-3 and 3-0 in conference action.
Morgan Barchan and Mallory Duran-Sellers picked up singles to start the sixth inning before Ashton singled in Barchan to pick up her third RBI of the day. SIU added two more insurance runs later in the inning as Allie VadeBoncouer came through with a two-run single to cap off the scoring.
Southern had nine hits in the game as Barchan, Ashton and VadeBoncouer each had two hits.
"I knew this would be a really tough series and we've got to try find some positives and come out tomorrow and battle," Blaylock said.
The Salukis will look to take the rubber match tomorrow at noon at Charlotte West Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lang, Brittney (5-3)
L: Warner, Megan (7-5)
S: Wunderlich, Alyssa (1)
Batting:
SH: Kellar, Lauren 1 ; Kopp, Caiti 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hamilton, Jhavon 1
SB: Kopp, Caiti 1
HBP: Turczyn, Kelsey 1
Batting:
2B: Orsburn, Taylor 1
RBI: Ashton, Kelsea 3 ; VadeBoncouer, Allie 2 ; Harker, Kalyn 1
SH: Spivey, Jayna 1 ; Harker, Kalyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Duran-Sellers, Mallory 1 ; Ashton, Kelsea 1 ; Kimball, Kara 1 ; Barchan, Morgan 2 ; Harker, Kalyn 1
