Sunday, March 26
Carbondale, Ill.
11 a.m.
Southern Illinois University
16-14, 0
6
vs
2
Drake University
16-15, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Drake
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
2
5
1
Southern Illinois
2
0
0
1
3
0
X
6
10
0
SIU sweeps Drake
03/26/2017 | 7:14:00 | Softball
CARBONDALE, ILL. -Â The Southern Illinois University softball team concluded its series with Drake today with two more wins, sweeping the three-game series. The Salukis outscored the Bulldogs, 13-3, over the course of the weekend.
Game one featured great hitting and pitching for SIU. The Dawgs started Savanna Dover and she pitched three, solid innings. Dover kept the Bulldogs scoreless through the first two innings, working around some early walks.Â
While the Bulldogs started off slow, the Salukis started off red hot. In the bottom of the first Eyrika Brandenburg singled and Shaye Harre launched an opposite field blast for her 26th career home run, giving SIU a two run advantage.
In the top of the fourth Drake tied the game, 2-2. After a lead off walk and then a single, Nicole Doyle came in to pitch with no outs. The sophomore got a quick two outs before allowing a single up the middle, scoring two runs. The single was the only hit Doyle gave up in her 3.2 innings of work.Â
The score was not tied for long. In the bottom of the fourth Sydney Jones singled and Maddy Vermejan drilled a 2-0 pitch into the gap, scoring Jones from first.Â
An inning later the Salukis had another offensive burst, scoring three runs on four hits. The inning started with a Susie Baranski single, followed by a Brandenburg sacrifice bunt. Harre was up next and drove one deep over the wall in right center for her second two-run home run of the game. It was her fourth home run of the season. Fellow senior Merri Anne Patterson kept the momentum going with a single two batters later then stole second base getting into scoring position. Vermejan drover her home with a single, picking up her second RBI of the game.Â
SIU cruised through the last two innings, silencing the bats of Drake. SIU ended the game with 10 hits and the pitching staff allowed only five.
Game two for SIU was almost identical to game one. SIU won the game, 6-1, and again got a great pitching performance. Brianna Jones got the ball, making it her second start in the series. Like her first outing, she pitched a complete game, allowing only one run in seven innings of work.
The game started out with a quick two runs from Southern in the bottom of the first. After Harre and Vermejan got on base, Patterson doubled off the top of the wall, bringing two runs in. Patterson's hit missed being a home run by inches.Â
In the top of the second Drake cut the deficit to one. The Bulldogs got two of the first four batters on base. With runners at second and first they hit singled once more, scoring their lone run in the game. It was also the only run Jones gave up all weekend.
SIU was able stretch out its lead in the bottom of the fifth, plating four runs on three hits, including Patterson's second double of the game and her third and fourth RBIs.Â
After SIU took a four-run lead, Brianna Jones took care of the rest. The remaining two innings went six up, six down, collecting two more strikeouts. Jones finished the game with four K's and allowed only three hits.Â
The win moved SIU's record in the Missouri Valley Conference to 5-1, and their overall record to 17-14. SIU has now won seven of its last eight games. In those seven wins, SIU has outscored its opponents 50 to 15. Drake dropped to 0-6 in the MVC.
Southern's next game is a midweek home matchup with sister school SIU-Edwardsville at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Game one featured great hitting and pitching for SIU. The Dawgs started Savanna Dover and she pitched three, solid innings. Dover kept the Bulldogs scoreless through the first two innings, working around some early walks.Â
While the Bulldogs started off slow, the Salukis started off red hot. In the bottom of the first Eyrika Brandenburg singled and Shaye Harre launched an opposite field blast for her 26th career home run, giving SIU a two run advantage.
In the top of the fourth Drake tied the game, 2-2. After a lead off walk and then a single, Nicole Doyle came in to pitch with no outs. The sophomore got a quick two outs before allowing a single up the middle, scoring two runs. The single was the only hit Doyle gave up in her 3.2 innings of work.Â
The score was not tied for long. In the bottom of the fourth Sydney Jones singled and Maddy Vermejan drilled a 2-0 pitch into the gap, scoring Jones from first.Â
An inning later the Salukis had another offensive burst, scoring three runs on four hits. The inning started with a Susie Baranski single, followed by a Brandenburg sacrifice bunt. Harre was up next and drove one deep over the wall in right center for her second two-run home run of the game. It was her fourth home run of the season. Fellow senior Merri Anne Patterson kept the momentum going with a single two batters later then stole second base getting into scoring position. Vermejan drover her home with a single, picking up her second RBI of the game.Â
SIU cruised through the last two innings, silencing the bats of Drake. SIU ended the game with 10 hits and the pitching staff allowed only five.
Game two for SIU was almost identical to game one. SIU won the game, 6-1, and again got a great pitching performance. Brianna Jones got the ball, making it her second start in the series. Like her first outing, she pitched a complete game, allowing only one run in seven innings of work.
The game started out with a quick two runs from Southern in the bottom of the first. After Harre and Vermejan got on base, Patterson doubled off the top of the wall, bringing two runs in. Patterson's hit missed being a home run by inches.Â
In the top of the second Drake cut the deficit to one. The Bulldogs got two of the first four batters on base. With runners at second and first they hit singled once more, scoring their lone run in the game. It was also the only run Jones gave up all weekend.
SIU was able stretch out its lead in the bottom of the fifth, plating four runs on three hits, including Patterson's second double of the game and her third and fourth RBIs.Â
After SIU took a four-run lead, Brianna Jones took care of the rest. The remaining two innings went six up, six down, collecting two more strikeouts. Jones finished the game with four K's and allowed only three hits.Â
The win moved SIU's record in the Missouri Valley Conference to 5-1, and their overall record to 17-14. SIU has now won seven of its last eight games. In those seven wins, SIU has outscored its opponents 50 to 15. Drake dropped to 0-6 in the MVC.
Southern's next game is a midweek home matchup with sister school SIU-Edwardsville at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Doyle, Nicole (5-5)
L: Smith, Kailee (7-11)
S: Jones, Brianna (1)
Batting:
RBI: Buie, Abby 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Maddox, Sarah 1 ; Hooyman, Maddie 1
SB: Roemmich, Mandi 1 ; Buie, Abby 1
Batting:
2B: Vermejan, Maddy 1
HR: Harre, Shaye 2
RBI: Harre, Shaye 4 ; Vermejan, Maddy 2
SH: Brandenburg, Eyrika 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Baranski, Susie 1 ; Brandenburg, Eyrika 1 ; Harre, Shaye 2 ; Patterson, Merri Anne 1 ; Jones, Sydney 1
SB: Patterson, Merri Anne 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
4
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
OF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballP/INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF
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