Southern heads to UNI for first MVC road series

03/27/2015 | 12:00:00 | Softball

March 27, 2015

SIU (11-11-1, 6-0 MVC) at Northern Iowa (9-16, 3-2 MVC)
Dates	March 28-29, 2015
Location	Cedar Falls, Iowa \| Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex
Game 1	Saturday, March 28 \| 1:30 p.m. CT \| Free Audio \| Live Stats provided by UNIPanthers.com
Game 2	Saturday, March 28 \| 3:30 p.m. CT \| Free Audio \| Live Stats provided by UNIPanthers.com
Game 3	Sunday, March 29 \| 12 p.m. CT \| Free Audio \| Live Stats provided by UNIPanthers.com
Game Notes	Southern Illinois \| MVC
Statistics	Southern Illinois \| Northern Iowa \| MVC
Series History	SIU leads 69-30 \| UNI W5
Social Media	@SIU_Softball \| @SIU_Softball \| Saluki Softball

FAST FIVE

SIU goes on its first Valley road trip of the year for a three-game set at Northern Iowa. Southern is on the road in four of its next five Valley weekends. The start time for Saturday's doubleheader has been pushed back to 1:30 p.m. CT. It was originally scheduled for Noon.
The Salukis have eight wins in their last at bat this year, including four walk-offs. Three of SIU's six MVC wins have been via walk-offs.
Southern Illinois is riding a six-game MVC winning streak into the weekend. SIU has had a Valley winning streak of at least six games in nine of the last 12 seasons, including a seven-game run near the end of last season.
Dating back to last year, SIU is 16-4 in its last 20 Missouri Valley Conference games. The Salukis started conference play 5-7 last year before winning 10 of their last 14.
SIU is playing at Northern Iowa for the first time since 2011. The 2013 series with the Panthers was moved to Carbondale due to weather.

FOR STARTERS
The Salukis head to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for a three-game set against the Northern Iowa Panthers on March 28-29. UNI holds a five-game winning streak in the series, the longest active win streak against the Salukis by any MVC school. UNI took two last year from SIU in Carbondale before the finale was called off due to weather. The series will be the first road MVC series for Southern Illinois and the first home MVC series for Northern Iowa.

Southern Illinois...

has won eight of its last 11 games and six-straight MVC games to open Valley play.
swept Bradley and Wichita State in the first two MVC series of the year, starting Valley play 6-0 for the first time since 2010.
has won five of its six MVC games in its last at bat, including three walk-offs.
has used 22 different batting orders and 18 different position combinations in 23 games this year.
has already played four extra-inning games, going 2-1-1. SIU beat UMBC with an eight-inning walkoff single from Shaye Harre, lost to Ohio State and tied Northern Colorado thanks to an eighth-inning game-tying home run from Meredith Wilson. Last weekend, SIU beat Bradley 10-9 in the 10th inning thanks to a two-run walkoff home run from Sydney Jones.
has overcome four four-run deficits. SIU erased a four-run seventh-inning deficit to beat Morehead State 8-6 with a six-run seventh and erased a five-run seventh-inning deficit in a 10-10 tie with Northern Colorado. In MVC play, both Bradley and Wichita State had early four-run leads before the Salukis came back to win both games.
leads the league in batting average in league play (.345). Kalyn Harker leads the MVC in batting average individually at .571 in six MVC games.

SCOUTING THE NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS
Northern Iowa was picked third in the preseason MVC poll, one spot ahead of Southern Illinois. The Panthers are 3-2 in MVC play, reboudning from a stretch when they lost eight of nine games. Kennedy Bailey leads the team in batting average by more than 80 points; she's hitting .365 in 22 games. She's also their primary RBI producer, posting 14 of the team's 32 RBIs. Micalla Rettinger and Rikki Alcaraz are both hitting .282, the next highest for the Panthers. Chelsea Ross is the team's ace and the reigning MVC Pitcher of the Week. Ross pitched a five-inning no-hitter against Loyola last weekend and is 7-9 with a 3.95 ERA in 88.2 innings this year. Alyssa Buchanan (2-6, 5.32 ERA) has pitched 52.2 innings this year.

SALUKIS START VALLEY PLAY 6-0
Southern Illinois started the Missouri Valley Conference season with two huge three-game sweeps of the Bradley Lady Braves and Wichita State Shockers. SIU came from behind in both games of the Bradley doubleheader, winning each in the last at bat. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth, SIU scored two runs off an error to win 2-1. The Salukis came from behind three times in the second game. Southern got behind 4-0 early before taking a 5-4 lead with a five-run sixth. Bradley sent the game to extras and had two two-run leads--one in the eighth (SIU tied in the bottom half) and one in the 10th. Shaye Harre and Merri Anne Patterson came through with hits in the bottom of the 10th to extend the game, and freshman Sydney Jones blasted a two-run, walk-off home run to win the game. SIU led wire-to-wire in the series finale, 8-3, to complete the sweep.

Against defending MVC champ Wichita State, SIU won three one-run games--two by walk-off and all in its last at bat--to sweep the Shockers. In the first game, Wichita State rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game, but Merri Anne Patterson hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to give SIU a 4-3 win. In game two, SIU rallied from an early 4-0 deficit to take the lead 6-5. After the Shockers tied the game in the top of the seventh, Brook Womack hit a walk-off RBI single to give SIU a 7-6 lead. In the finale, SIU blew a 6-0 lead when Wichita scored six in the last two innings, but Patterson hit a second-game winning home run, this time a walk-off solo homer on a full count in the bottom of the seventh to give SIU a 7-6 win.

PATTERSON NAMED MVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore Merri Anne Patterson earned Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week honors on Monday after hitting two game-winning home runs in the series against Wichita State. Patterson hit .462 in SIU's 4-0 week, which included an 8-3 win over Bradley last Monday to complete a three-game sweep of the Braves. She slugged 1.231 in the four games, going 6-for-13 with a double, three home runs, seven RBIs, five runs scored and a stolen base. In the series opener with WSU, Patterson hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth that was the difference in a 4-3 win. In the series finale, Patterson hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the seventh in a 7-6 win.

COMEBACK KIDS
Southern Illinois has come from behind in seven of its 11 wins and won eight in the last at bat. SIU has overcome four four-run deficits, as well, along with four extra-inning games.

The Salukis overcame a three-run sixth-inning deficit against UMBC to win on a Shaye Harre walkoff RBI single.
Southern overcame a four-run seventh-inning deficit against Morehead State with six runs in the seventh to win 8-6.
The Salukis overcame a five-run seventh-inning deficit against Northern Colorado to force extra innings, where Meredith Wilson's eighth-inning home run brought SIU out of another deficit and forced a 10-10 tie.
In Mexico, SIU won on an overthrow to the pitcher in the eighth inning to beat Nevada 6-5.
Two scored on a Caylee Cook ball hit to shallow right field in SIU's final at bat in game one against Bradley to win 2-1.
Trailing by four against Bradley, SIU came back to take the lead. Bradley rallied to take two two-run leads after that, but Southern answered both times, including a game-winning walk-off home run by Sydney Jones to cap a three-run 10th inning that gave SIU a 10-9 win.
Merri Anne Patterson hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to give SIU a 4-3 win in the series opener with Wichita State.
Brook Womack hit a walk-off RBI single to beat Wichita State in game two.
Again trailing by four, this time against Wichita State, SIU rallied for a 7-6 win on Merri Anne Patterson's walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh.

Did you know?
Kalyn Harker is on an eight-game hitting streak, during which she has raised her season batting average from .191 to .324.

BERTELSEN 8-1 IN LAST NINE DECISIONS
Southern Illinois ace Katie Bertelsen is 8-1 in her last nine decisions and has earned the win in all six conference games for the Salukis. With six MVC wins, Bertelsen has twice as many as any other pitcher in the conference. In that span, Bertelsen has thrown six complete games and has just a 3.04 ERA in 50.2 innings. The streak started with a complete game win against Northern Illinois--the game that also marked Southern Illinois' recent hot streak. Bertelsen allowed just two earned runs, starting a string of four-straight appearances allowing two or fewer earned runs. Those numbers include three games in which Bertelsen was throwing on no rest. Since NIU in games when Bertelsen is coming off rest, she is 5-1 with a 1.71 ERA and four complete-game wins; and opponents are hitting just .227 off Bertelsen in those games.

Savanna Dover has also quietly emerged recently after a slow start. Dover's ERA was 8.65 after her first six appearances, but it's just 4.12 in her four appearances since (18.2 innings).

NAVIGATING THE GAUNTLET
For the second year in a row, SIU faces all the teams picked to finish in the top half of the MVC race in the first four weekends of the year. Southern was picked fourth in the preseason poll, and the other four teams in the top half are all on SIU's schedule in the first four weeks of the season--Bradley (5th), Wichita State (1st), Northern Iowa (3rd) and Illinois State (2nd). The tough slate makes Southern's three-game sweeps of Bradley and Wichita State even more important.

LINEUP SHAKEUP WORKS
Head coach Kerri Blaylock mixed up the lineup against Lipscomb right before MVC play started. Centerfielder Kalyn Harker batted leadoff for the season's first 14 games, but Blaylock moved Harker to the No. 2 spot and bumped Kelsey Gonzalez up to the No. 1 hole against Lipscomb. Since the move, SIU is 6-2, and both Gonzalez and Harker have been on fire. Harker is hitting .556 since the move (15-for-27) and Gonzalez is at .407 (11-for-27). The pair have combined for five doubles, eight RBIs and 14 runs scored. Harker has laid down three perfect sacrifices and stolen four bases, and she has at least one hit in all eight games.

YOUTH MOVEMENT
The Saluki lineup is young. Seven of the top eight hitters this season by batting average return next year, and five of those seven are underclassmen.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Salukis are a perfect 6-0 at Charlotte West Stadium in 2015. Southern played its first 16 games away from Carbondale, going 5-10-1. The next six games were at home, and SIU won them all to go over the .500 mark for the first time this year at 11-10-1 after the Wichtia State series. SIU is 185-64 in 11+ seasons at Charlotte West Stadium, which includes a 12-7 mark last season. Southern has a winning record in all 11 seasons it has played at West Stadium; with 10 home games remaining on the schedule this season, SIU is just three home wins away from extending that streak to 12.

WOMACK HITTING HER STRIDE
Southern Illinois sophomore Brook Womack is hitting in the middle of the lineup after a huge burst over the last few weeks. In her first 34 career games, Womack had six hits. She broke out with a six-hit day in a doubleheader with Bucknell and Creighton in Florida, and she has been hitting in the middle of the lineup since. Since coming back from Mexico, Womack is hitting .417 (15-for-36) with three doubles, her first two career home runs, 11 RBIs and four runs scored. Womack hit the walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the seventh in a 7-6 win over Wichita State in game two of that series.

Lineup Quick Notes
00	Sydney Jones	Reached in 20 of 23G...Game-winning 2R HR vs. Morehead State...Walkoff 2R HR vs. BU (G2)...Team-best 21 RBIs
1	Merri Anne Patterson	2015 MVC All-Tournament team...Game-winning HR in B6 vs. WSU (G1)...Walk-off HR in B7 vs. WSU (G3)....370 BA w/ RISP
2	Brook Womack	Started 20G...16-39 (.410) in last 12G...Walk-off RBI single vs. Wichita State (G2)...Hit first career HR vs. BU...6 RBIs in last 5G
5	Lacey Newbold	108 career G; 22 career starts...13 career SB...Scored 35 career R...2-4, R in series vs. BU...2-RBI double to tie game vs. WSU
6	Savannah Fisher	3-5, HR on opening weekend...One of three players in MVC w/ multiple triples...7 of 13 hits this season are extra base hits
7	Kelsey Gonzalez	Hitting .407 since moving to leadoff @LIP...Hit in 9 of last 12G (5 multi-hit games)...Hit in 5 of 6 MVC games
10	Caylee Cook	65 career G & 34 career starts...3 2Bs and 2 HRs, both in 2014...2-4 vs. Morehead State...1-4, RBI vs. N. Colorado
12	Kalyn Harker	2-time MVC Scholar-Athlete (4.0 GPA)...Robbed HR @LIP....571 BA in MVC games (leads MVC)...8G hit streak (avg .191 to .324) \| FEATURE
17	Kara Kimball	3 starts in 2015 (1st starts of career)...155 career GP...7 career SB...60 career R...Former walk-on...Played on torn ACL in HS \| FEATURE
23	Jessica Heese	True FR...1st career start vs. Charleston So...Got 1st career hit vs. Wichita State...Started last 2G in RF
24	Alyssa Wunderlich	Two-time honorable mention MVC Scholar-Athlete...23 career Ws...4.24 career ERA...262.1 career innings...0 ER in 1.2 IP in 2015
25	Shaye Harre	2014 All-MVC...54 career RBIs...Game-tying grand slam vs. Morehead St...Pitching W & walkoff RBI vs. UMBC...Started all 75G in car
27	Katie Bertelsen	2014 All-MVC...40 career wins (8th in SIU history)...40 career CG, including 20 in 2014...2 ER vs. #5 Kentucky...8-1 in last 9 decisions \| FEATURE
28	Taylor Harris	61 career games and 19 career starts...Went 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs against Texas A&M Corpus Christi in 2014....329 career OBP
32	Jessa Thomas	Started 11x at C in 2015..Caught 3 base stealers in 2015...1.000 FLD%...2-out double started three-run rally vs. UMBC
33	Meredith Wilson	2-time All-MVC (2012, 13)...149 career starts...25 career doubles...Two 2-out RBIs vs. Ohio St...Game-tying HR vs. N Colorado
59	Savanna Dover	True freshman...First career W vs. Morehead State...3.55 ERA in last 5 appearances (21.2 IP)...CG vs. Creighton
	Team	Won 6 of last 7...45R in 6th & 7th inn. combined (+16 margin)...70-157 (.446) OBP leading off inn...22 batting orders in 23G
HC	Kerri Blaylock	Coached her 800th career game--all at SIU--on March 30, 2014, @ Mo. St. ... Highest Win% among MVC 500-win coaches...Won career G 550 in G1 vs. Wichita State

SALUKIS PICKING UP THE DEFENSE
Southern Illinois saw a dramatic improvement in its defense over the last seven games. SIU committed 22 errors in the first 12 games of the season, including eight games with two or more errors. Since, SIU has been flashing the leather. Against Lipscomb, Kalyn Harker robbed a home run over the centerfield fense, and she also started an 8-4-2 relay that nailed a potential run at home plate. In the same game, Merri Anne Patterson made a sliding catch in left field and Sydney Jones picked a hot shot off the third base line and turned an RBI double into a harmless groundout. In the back-and-forth 10-9 win over Bradley, Savannah Fisher made a diving catch that saved a run in the 10th, paving the way for Sydney Jones' walk-off home run, and Fisher's diving play and throw sealed a 4-3 win over Wichita State in the opener.

FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTING TO LINEUP RIGHT AWAY
Savannah Fisher and Sydney Jones have made an immediate impact for the Salukis in the lineup. Both freshmen already have 5+ game reached base streaks, and Jones had a streak of 16-straight games already this season. Jones has started in all 23 games and reached in 20 of those, and she leads the team with 21 RBIs. Fisher is one of only three players in the MVC with more than one triple. She went 3-for-7 in her home state of Florida with four runs scored, two RBIs, a double, triple and home run. Based on Bill James' "Runs Created" metric, Fisher is creating on average more than one run per inning for the Salukis. The freshmen proved their importance in a 10-9 win over Bradley--Fisher made a diving catch to save a run 10th, paving the way for a two-run walk-off home run from Jones in the bottom half of the inning.

BERTELSEN SHINES AGAINST TOP COMPETITION
SIU senior pitcher Katie Bertelsen has pitched her best games against the best competition throughout her career. Late last season, Bertelsen faced eventual MVC champion Wichita State, which led the league in 10 offensive categories. Bertelsen shut down the Shockers in a 2-1, allowing WSU to go just 4-for-24 against her. Against No. 5 Kentucky, which is coming off a Women's College World Series appearance, Bertelsen pitched her best game of 2015, allowing just two earned runs in a 5-2 loss.

EVERYONE CONTRIBUTES
All 17 players on SIU's roster played in its 8-6 win over Morehead State. All 14 position players have at least one start this year, and 16 of 17 players have started at least one game. The only player without a start is senior pitcher Alyssa Wunderlich, who has yet to give up an earned run in 2015. All 11 players with at least 11 at-bats has recorded at least two hits.

HARRE: AS COOL AS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PILLOW
SIU super sophomore Shaye Harre has been clutch for the Salukis in 2015. She showcased her two-way ability in Southern Illinois' 4-3 win over UMBC on the opening day of the season. Harre pitched 5.2 innings, allowing only two earned runs, in relief to help SIU stay within striking distance. After the Salukis tied the game at three, Harre came up in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on second; and she hit a walkoff RBI single to complete her 3-for-4 day at the plate.

Against Morehead State, the Salukis trailed by four in the seventh inning when Harre came to the plate with the bases loaded. She hit a game-tying grand slam ahead of Sydney Jones' game-winning two-run home run. In the second game of the Bradley series, Harre came up in the eighth inning with the Salukis down a run, but she singled home the game-tying run. Then again in the 10th, Harre doubled to keep the inning alive, and SIU eventually won with a three-run 10th. In the middle game against Wichita State, Harre again led off the final inning with a double, which became the game-winning run on Brook Womack's walk-off RBI single.

PLAYING FOR JC
Saluki Softball will be Playing for JC all season long. JC Bass is a two-and-a-half year old friend of Saluki sophomore Merri Anne Patterson. JC has brain cancer and will be going through a six-month chemotherapy treatment throughout the spring. To assist with JC's medical bills, donate at http://www.gofundme.com/fdvqow. Follow JC's battle on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pullin-for-JC/1492123607727346.

SALUKIS DRAW WALKS
SIU has consistenty been one of the most patient hitting lineups in the MVC since associate head coach and hitting coach Jen Sewell joined the staff in 2009. The Salukis have led the league in walks every season since. This year, SIU leads the conference in walks per game (3.48). The entire lineup has been drawing walks, with no player on the team ranking in the top 10 in the MVC in walks.

SALUKIS PICKED FOURTH IN PRESEASON POLL
SIU was picked fourth in the MVC preseason coaches poll for a second-straight year. Last season, Southern went on to a 15-11 MVC season and a third-place finish, the 12th top-three finish in head coach Kerri Blaylock's 15 seasons. SIU lost five starters from that team but returns four of its top five hitters and No. 1 starter Katie Bertelsen. None of Southern's players were listed on the preseason All-MVC team, but Shaye Harre hit .368 in MVC games last year on her way to second-team All-MVC honors, and Bertelsen won nine games in MVC play and had just a 3.19 ERA in league play.

Last year's regular season champion, Wichita State, earned the preseason nod as the favorite in the conference. Illinois State and Northern Iowa were the other schools ahead of SIU.

GONZALEZ, HARKER, WILSON NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS
Junior Kelsey Gonzalez, senior Kalyn Harker and senior Meredith Wilson were named the 2015 team captains, head coach Kerri Blaylock announced in August. Gonzalez hit .328 last year, second in the MVC among shortstops. Harker, in addition to being one of the best outfielders in the MVC (only one career error and .995 career fielding percentage), hit .313 as a junior last year and showcased an impressive combination of power (10 doubles) and speed (14 stolen bases). Wilson is a two-time All-MVC hitter with 131 career starts for the Salukis under her belt. She has a .449 career slugging percentage and hit a walk-off single to beat MVC Pitcher of the Year Brittany Gardner and Loyola.

BERTELSEN LEADS PITCHERS IN 2014
SIU senior Katie Bertelsen will lead the pitching staff in 2015. Bertelsen threw more than twice as many innings as any other pitcher on the staff in 2014, logging 188.1 innings. Bertie won 14 games, including nine in MVC play. Fellow senior Alyssa Wunderlich and sophomore Shaye Harre also return after seeing time at pitcher in 2014. Wunderlich led the team in ERA in 2012 and got three wins in 33 innings last year. Harre also won three games and pitched 44 innings for the Salukis last season. Freshman Savanna Dover is expected to be a heavy contributer right away. The newcomer threw four career no-hitters in high school and pitched a five-inning no-no in the fall season.

GONZALEZ HAS BREAKOUT SOPH SEASON
SIU junior captain Kelsey Gonzalez is coming off a breakout sophomore season. Gonzalez started all 52 games in her freshman year and hit .210. Last season, Gonzalez hit .328 in 47 starts and 51 total games. She hit at nearly every spot in the lineup and ended the year in the middle of the lineup. She earned MVC Player of the Week honors after she slugged .933 against Wichita State. She had two doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and 14 total bases in leading Southern to a series win over the eventual MVC champion Shockers.

HARRE HAS MONSTER FRESHMAN SEASON
Shaye Harre was immediately a force in the middle of the lineup for SIU as a freshman. She was second on the team in 2014 with a .329 average and hit an even better .368 in MVC play. She led the team with 43 RBIs, second in program history among freshman. Her on-base percentage, RBIs, doubles and walks all ranked among the top 10 in the MVC. Harre joined Bertelsen as a second-team All-MVC honoree after the season.

TEAM OVERVIEW
SIU is replacing five starting positional players this year. Last year's starters included four spots around the infield (C, 1B, 2B, 3B) and one outfielder. Jayna Spivey, last year's second baseman, was a four-time All-MVC player and led the team in hitting last year with a .337 average.

Southern returns four of its top five hitters and the team's No. 1 pitcher, Katie Bertelsen. Shaye Harre (.329), Kelsey Gonzalez (.328) and Kalyn Harker (.313) all return after hitting better than .300 last year. Freshman Sydney Jones and sophomore Jessa Thomas are splitting time at the catcher spot, while Jones and Kara Kimball have been splitting time at third base.

CONTINUING TRADITION OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Saluki Softball posted a team GPA of 3.616 in the fall 2014 semester. All 17 players in the program earned at least a 3.2 GPA during the semester. SIU has a history as one of the best academic and athletic softball programs in the country under head coach Kerri Blaylock. Southern Illinois has posted a team GPA among the top-20 nationally in 13 of the past 14 academic years, including ten top-10 finishes. Since the NCAA began publicly recognizing softball programs that finish in the top 10 percent of their sport academically, Saluki Softball has been recognized six times and is the only program in the MVC to earn the honor even once.

FOLLOW US
The official Twitter and Instagram of Saluki softball is @SIU_Softball. This account features team news as well as live in-game updates. Fans can also follow Saluki Athletics @SIUSalukis for news on all SIU sports. Saluki Softball is also on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiSoftball.

ON THE AIR
Southern Illinois will broadcast every Saluki Softball game on Saluki All-Access. Bryce Williams is entering his third season as the Voice of Saluki Women's Sports and will call the play-by-play. Allie VadeBoncouer, who served as the catcher for SIU for the last three seasons, will be the analyst for all home games. Home games will also be video streamed by Saluki Video Services, led by director Shane Gibbons and produced by Anthony Giase.