Southern Illinois University
24-21, 0
Wichita State University
27-16, 0
Salukis hit four homers in sweep over Shockers
04/23/2017 | 4:54:00 | Softball
CARBONDALE, Ill.- The Southern Illinois University softball team (25-21) picked up two more Missouri Valley Conference wins, sweeping Wichita State (27-17) in a doubleheader on Sunday. The Salukis hit four home runs in the two games, outscoring the Shockers, 8-6, in a pair of one-run victories.
Brianna Jones pitched game one and held the Shockers in check the majority of the game. In the first four innings, she gave up no runs and only four hits.
The Salukis, on the other hand, came out swinging early. Leading the charge was Merri Anne Patterson. In the bottom of the second and fourth, Patterson led off the inning with a home run. The two home runs tied SIU's single-game record. Patterson has now hit three home runs in the past week.
"That kid for some reason loves to hit off of Wichita State," associate head coach Jen Sewell said. "She's been cleaning up the mess. It's undeniable that she has to hit behind Shaye at times and protect her. She's been our cleanup hitter and when pitchers pitch around other hitters to go after Merri Anne, it hasn't worked out for them."
SIU plated one more run in the third inning, which eventually being the game winner. After Patterson's lead-off homer, Sydney Jones drew a walk. Jones advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Katelyn Massa, followed by another bunt by Maddy Vermejan. With one runner out and runners at second and third, Haley Andrus drove a ball to the right side of the field. Instead of getting the out at first, Wichita State threw the ball home to try to get a streaking Jones. Thanks to a good slide, Jones avoided the tag and the Dawgs took a 3-0 lead.
The three runs was all Brianna Jones needed to close out the game, even though the Shockers made a late charge. WSU hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh, but no momentum came out of it. Jones finished the game giving up two runs in seven innings, while allowing five hits in a complete game.Game two of the doubleheader featured more long balls from SIU. The Salukis got their first run of the game, however, on a sacrifice fly by Patterson. It was her third RBI of the day and sixth in the last four games.Â
Southern didn't lead 1-0 for long. In the bottom of the second inning, the Salukis picked up their third lead-off home run of the day, this time coming from Sydney Jones. The junior drove the first pitch of the at bat deep to right field, hitting it off the scoreboard. It was Jones' seventh homer of the year, which leads the team.
SIU held on to the 2-0 lead until the top of the fifth. The Shockers started the inning by getting their first two batters on, one with a double, the other by error. With two on and nobody out, WSU capitalized with a single scoring both base runners. After the two runs were surrendered, the Salukis set the Shockers down in order to finish the inning.Â
The score remained tied until the bottom of the sixth inning. Southern began the inning with Susie Baranski reaching first on an error by the shortstop. Vermejan was up next and laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Baranski to second. Patterson was up next and drew a walk to put runners at second and first with one out. Senior Shaye Harre stepped into the batters box with a chance to give the Salukis the lead. Harre worked a full count then launched a screamer off the scoreboard in right field, giving SIU a 5-2 lead.
"You can't keep Shaye quiet at the plate," Sewell said. "She's too much of a competitor. When you don't know if you're being pitched to or not, you have to take a strike, and we reminded her that she had the freedom to swing whenever. In that at bat she knew what to look for and you saw what happens when she swings the bat."Â
Wichita State again made a late comeback, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh, but couldn't bring in a third to tie the game. SIU won, 5-4.Â
"It's the last year they were going to be with us (Missouri Valley Conference)," Sewell said. "We wanted to have a good time and not put too much pressure on ourselves. We put together a good scout and it came down to who hit the ball last in both games."
The two conference wins moves SIU into a tie for third place with Wichita State and Missouri State.Â
The Salukis will play game three of their series with Evansville on Tuesday, as they will go for their fifth series win in MVC play.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Doyle, Nicole (7-7)
L: Brooks, J. (3-5)
S: Jones, Brianna (4)
Batting:
2B: Wright, M. 1 ; Hitz, M. 1
HR: Wright, M. 1
RBI: Wright, M. 1 ; Adams, M. 2 ; Derrico, L. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wright, M. 2 ; Spring, K. 1 ; Long, K. 1
SB: Spring, K. 1
HBP: Derrico, L. 1 ; Luellen, P. 1
Batting:
HR: Harre, Shaye 1 ; Jones, Sydney 1
RBI: Patterson, Merri Anne 1 ; Harre, Shaye 3 ; Jones, Sydney 1
SH: Vermejan, Maddy 2 ; Jones, Sydney 1
SF: Patterson, Merri Anne 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brandenburg, Eyrika 1 ; Baranski, Susie 1 ; Patterson, Merri Anne 1 ; Harre, Shaye 1 ; Jones, Sydney 1
