Salukis split season-opening games in walkoff fashion

Friday, February 6

Charleston, S.C.

12:00 PM

Southern Illinois University

1-1

UMBC

0-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
UMBC	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	3	8	3
Southern Illinois	0	0	0	0	0	3	1	4	7	2

02/06/2015 | 12:00:00 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Feb. 6, 2015

By John Lock
SIUSalukis.com

BOX SCORES: Ohio State | UMBC | Photo Gallery

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Southern Illinois softball program split its season opening games on Friday in walkoff fashion, falling to Ohio State 7-4 in eight innings before beating UMBC 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh. Shaye Harre got both the pitching win and hit the walkoff RBI single in the bottom of the seventh in Southern's win over UMBC.

"I'm very relaxed," head coach Kerri Blaylock said afterwards. "I love to coach this team. They have great energy. They came back from two three-run deficits. They don't quit; they're fighters. It's been fun to coach them. We let the Ohio State game slip away, but I'm really proud of them to get the win over UMBC."

GAME ONE RECAP
Facing a three-run deficit against Ohio State, Jessa Thomas started a two-out rally for SIU (1-1) in the fourth inning with a double; Merri Anne Patterson quickly scored the run with an RBI single. After Kalyn Harker was hit with a pitch, Kelsey Gonzalez singled in another run to close the gap to 3-2. Gonzalez's ensuing delay steal resulted in a wild throw into center field, and Harker scored the tying run.

Kara Kimball was placed on second to start the eighth inning, and a Brook Womack sacrifice bunt and Caylee Cook gave SIU the lead with a sacrifice fly. Ohio State quickly scored their placed runner in the bottom of the eighth, and Jala Saibene hit a two-out, three-run walkoff homer to give Ohio State the win.

Katie Bertelsen took the loss but gave SIU a chance to win with four-straight scoreless innings after the Buckeyes took a 3-0 lead.

"She even admitted to me she didn't have everything quite working, but she's just going to fight through it," Blaylock said. "She made a couple pitches she wished she had back, but other than that, she was a gritty kid who got us where we needed to be. We could have easily been on the winning end of it."

GAME TWO RECAP
The Salukis faced another 3-0 deficit against UMBC, this time heading into the sixth inning, but SIU got all three runs back in the sixth. Shaye Harre--who got the pitching win after going 5.2 innings allowing just two earned runs--hit a walkoff RBI single to score Savannah Fisher and win the game for SIU.

"I didn't get a good opportunity to hit in the first game," said Harre, who walked three times against Ohio State. "When I saw (UMBC) was going to pitch to me, I got some good swings in."

Harre's walkoff capped a 3-for-4 game against UMBC. She reached base in six of her eight plate appearances on the day.

Fisher, who scored the winning run, went 2-for-3 against UMBC, leading a group of freshmen who all contributed on the first day of their collegiate careers. Sydney Jones played all of both games and had an RBI against UMBC; Jessica Heese scored a run and Savanna Dover got the start against UMBC. Several other returnees stepped up for a program trying to replace five graduated seniors.

"Brook Womack was amazing today. She's a leader and she's smart," Blaylock said. "She's someone you want to be on your team because she's as competitive as they come. Savannah Fisher, for her first game, gets on three times. Those things are just great. I want to give props to Kara Kimball, who played at third base. I don't know if she's played there since 10-and-under ball.

"We're gritty. We just do things that we need to do to survive. That's a really good place to grow from."