SIU falls to SEMO, 4-3, in 10 innings

Wednesday, April 8

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

4:00 PM

Southern Illinois University

13-18-1

SEMO

10-18

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Southern Illinois	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	3	8	1
Southeast Missouri	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	1	4	7	3

04/08/2015 | 12:00:00 | Softball

Box Score

April 8, 2015

By John Lock
SIUSalukis.com

Box Score

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Southern Illinois softball team dropped a 4-3 game at Southeast Missouri on Wednesday afternoon in 10 innings. SIU overcame a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead in the eighth, but the Redhawks got one run in the eighth to extend the game and another in the 10th to walk off with the win.

"We came out really, really flat," head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "It started in warm-ups. I have to give credit to (SEMO starter Madeline) Krumrey for doing what she did, but I thought it was a product of us being flat."

Shaye Harre started the circle for SIU (13-18-1) and pitched one of the best outings of the year. The sophomore didn't allow a hit in the first three innings or a run in the first four. SEMO (10-18) opened the fifth with a single and a triple, and the triple scored two batters later on a play at the plate.

Southern's offense couldn't string hits together all afternoon, but it took advantage of three SEMO mistakes in the sixth inning to tie the game. Shaye Harre had a one-out hit in the inning before Southeast Missouri committed three errors--a dropped pop fly, a dropped catch at first base and a dropped throw to second in a first-and-third steal situation--and SIU tied the game.

Savanna Dover relieved Harre and pitched well again. She allowed just two hits in three innings and struck out five, keeping SEMO off the board to send the game to extra innings. She was in line for a win when Sydney Jones hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning to give SIU a 3-2 lead, its first of the game, but she was pulled after a leadoff walk in the bottom half. SEMO doubled in the walk to send extend the game further.

"I thought Shaye did a phenomenal job; I thought Savanna did a phenomenal job," Blaylock said. "(SEMO) just made one more play than we did."

Starting in the 10th inning, tournament rules applied--a runner was placed at second base to start each half-inning. In the top half, Kalyn Harker moved up to third on sacrifice bunt and then tried to score from third after a sliding catch in foul territory. She appeared to avoid a tag at home but was called out to end the inning.

The Redhawks started the bottom half with a sacrifice bunt of their own, and the throw to first got away, allowing the winning run to score from second.

After a six-game winning streak to open MVC play, SIU has dropped eight of its last 10 games and fell to 1-4 in mid-week games this year. SIU came from behind in eight wins early in the year; but for the second time in three games, the Salukis came from behind to take the lead, only to see it slip away.

Kelsey Gonzalez and Kalyn Harker had five of Southern's eight hits in the game.

"Gonzo had a great day today," Blaylock said. "Kalyn had a great day today. I was pretty impressed with our pitching coming out. We should have been able to score early, I feel like, and it would have been a whole different ball game."

UP NEXT: SIU hosts MVC-leading Drake for a three-game series at Charlotte West Stadium on April 11-12, starting with a Noon doubleheader on Saturday.