EIU blanks Southern, 4-0

Wednesday, April 29

Charleston, Ill.

4:00 PM

Southern Illinois University

19-24-1

Eastern Illinois

18-24

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

04/29/2015 | 12:00:00 | Softball

Box Score

April 29, 2015

By John Lock
SIUSalukis.com

Box Score

CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois shut out Southern Illinois softball on Wednesday afternoon at Williams Field, 4-0. In the final regular season non-conference game of the year, SIU stranded nine while EIU (18-24) hit two 2-run home runs to beat Southern for the third-straight year.

Southern (19-24-1) had opportunities early, stranding three in the first, two in the second and two more in the third. Through three innings, SIU had four hits and drew three walks but couldn't push a run across.

For the final four innings, Eastern Illinois starter Michelle Rogers didn't allow a hit to cap off her first complete-game shutout. SIU's four hits were the fewest Rogers had allowed in an appearance in a month.

Southern starter Katie Bertelsen only allowed seven hits in a complete game of her own, but two of them were two-run homers that gave Rogers all the room she needed. In the game, Southern (nine) had more base runners than Eastern (eight), but the Panthers squared up the two home runs to center field that resulted in all the scoring.

Seven hitters in SIU's lineup reached base at least once, but Shaye Harre (three walks) was the only player to reach more than once. The Salukis couldn't string hits together in the opening innings, and the last 14 SIU hitters went 0-for-12 with two walks. SIU closed its mid-week games 3-6 this season.

UP NEXT: SIU closes the regular season with a three-game series against Missouri State on May 2-3. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday at noon and a single game on Sunday at noon. Southern's five seniors--Katie Bertelsen, Kalyn Harker, Kara Kimball, Meredith Wilson and Alyssa Wunderlich--will be honored at the conclusion of Saturday's doubleheader.