Saturday, March 17
Carbondale, Ill.
12:00 p.m.
Southern Illinois University
15-9, 1-0
9
vs
1
Loyola University Chicago
12-10, 0-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
R
H
E
Loyola - Chicago
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
7
0
Southern Illinois
0
0
2
5
1
1
9
15
1
Photo by: Tom Weber
Salukis score 11 runs in doubleheader split with Loyola
03/17/2018 | 6:10:00 | Softball
The Salukis scored 11 runs in two games on their way to a split with Loyola on the opening day on Missouri Valley Conference play.
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Southern won the first of the day 9-1 behind Brianna Jones's 12th complete game. Loyola took the second behind a 3 RBI performance from their preseason All-MVC catcher Katie Kasubke and a complete game from starter Kiley Jones.
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"I told them after the first game that it was one of the most complete games we've played all year," head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "I'm super, super proud of our energy all day and our fight and our focus. They hit the ball well in the second game, but I'm going to trust our kids to go home and make some adjustments and get ready to go tomorrow."
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Loyola was the first to score in the opening game of the weekend. A single from freshman Peyton De Chant allowed the runner on third to score. The RBI single gave Loyola a 1-0 lead and its only run of the game.
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In the bottom of the third, Massa hit into a fielder's choice that allowed Maddy Vermejan to score from third. Later in the inning, a single from freshman Megan Brown scored Bailee Pulley to give Southern a lead it would not relinquish.
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After the third, junior pitcher Brianna Jones settled in while pitching with the lead. Prior to her offense getting her an advantage, she allowed 4 hits and 2 walks. After the Salukis took the lead, Jones struck out 4 and allowed just 2 hits.
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"I had my ups and downs," Jones said. "I think towards the end it got a little better and I started feeling my spots out. After we took the lead, Jen [Sewell] looked at me and said, 'you can calm down now'. I get so tense, it makes it so much easier for me to just go out there and throw."
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In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Salukis blew the game wide open with a five-run inning. Â Sophomore Susie Baranski opened the scoring in the frame with an RBI single with the bases loaded that scored freshman Maris Boelens. In the next at-bat, freshman Jenny Jansen singled to score sophomore Kyleigh Decker to make the score 4-1. Two batters later, a Massa single scored Vermejan. Later in the inning, a wild pitch scored Baranski from third. Senior Sydney Jones closed out the scoring with an RBI single that scored Jansen.
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In the fifth inning, junior Jordan Spicer hit her first home run as a Saluki to make the score 8-1.
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In the sixth, Massa put a stop to Loyola's struggle when she hit an RBI double to close the game out at 9-1.
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Massa went 2 for 4 with three RBI in the game. Six Salukis recorded multi-hit games including all-four of the hitters at the top of the lineup.
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Brianna Jones earned her 13th win of the season. She has just 1 loss. She struck out 5, walked 2 and allowed just one earned run.
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In the second game, Loyola opened the game with a bang when Shannon McGee, the reigning MVC Player of the Week hit a leadoff homerun to start her team with a 1-0 lead.
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In the bottom of the first, Massa came through again, this time with a sac bunt that scored a Saluki run.
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In the third, Kasubke hit a ball out to center for a two-run home run to give her team a 4-1 lead.
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Southern answered in the bottom of the third with a run of its own when Massa singled to score Vermejan.
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Loyola would go on to score once more to earn the victory 5-2.
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Katelyn Massa's 2 RBI in the second game brought her total to 5 on the day. She was 3-5 at the plate. Massa also caught a runner stealing in the second game. Blaylock moved Vermejan to the leadoff spot for both games, a move that proved to pay off. She went 4-7 on the game with 4 runs scored. Blaylock cited Vermejan's .528 on base percentage as the reason for the switch.
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The Salukis play in the rubber match against Loyola tomorrow at noon; the game has been moved back an hour from the original start time.
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Southern won the first of the day 9-1 behind Brianna Jones's 12th complete game. Loyola took the second behind a 3 RBI performance from their preseason All-MVC catcher Katie Kasubke and a complete game from starter Kiley Jones.
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"I told them after the first game that it was one of the most complete games we've played all year," head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "I'm super, super proud of our energy all day and our fight and our focus. They hit the ball well in the second game, but I'm going to trust our kids to go home and make some adjustments and get ready to go tomorrow."
Â
Loyola was the first to score in the opening game of the weekend. A single from freshman Peyton De Chant allowed the runner on third to score. The RBI single gave Loyola a 1-0 lead and its only run of the game.
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In the bottom of the third, Massa hit into a fielder's choice that allowed Maddy Vermejan to score from third. Later in the inning, a single from freshman Megan Brown scored Bailee Pulley to give Southern a lead it would not relinquish.
Â
After the third, junior pitcher Brianna Jones settled in while pitching with the lead. Prior to her offense getting her an advantage, she allowed 4 hits and 2 walks. After the Salukis took the lead, Jones struck out 4 and allowed just 2 hits.
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"I had my ups and downs," Jones said. "I think towards the end it got a little better and I started feeling my spots out. After we took the lead, Jen [Sewell] looked at me and said, 'you can calm down now'. I get so tense, it makes it so much easier for me to just go out there and throw."
Â
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Salukis blew the game wide open with a five-run inning. Â Sophomore Susie Baranski opened the scoring in the frame with an RBI single with the bases loaded that scored freshman Maris Boelens. In the next at-bat, freshman Jenny Jansen singled to score sophomore Kyleigh Decker to make the score 4-1. Two batters later, a Massa single scored Vermejan. Later in the inning, a wild pitch scored Baranski from third. Senior Sydney Jones closed out the scoring with an RBI single that scored Jansen.
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In the fifth inning, junior Jordan Spicer hit her first home run as a Saluki to make the score 8-1.
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In the sixth, Massa put a stop to Loyola's struggle when she hit an RBI double to close the game out at 9-1.
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Massa went 2 for 4 with three RBI in the game. Six Salukis recorded multi-hit games including all-four of the hitters at the top of the lineup.
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Brianna Jones earned her 13th win of the season. She has just 1 loss. She struck out 5, walked 2 and allowed just one earned run.
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In the second game, Loyola opened the game with a bang when Shannon McGee, the reigning MVC Player of the Week hit a leadoff homerun to start her team with a 1-0 lead.
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In the bottom of the first, Massa came through again, this time with a sac bunt that scored a Saluki run.
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In the third, Kasubke hit a ball out to center for a two-run home run to give her team a 4-1 lead.
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Southern answered in the bottom of the third with a run of its own when Massa singled to score Vermejan.
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Loyola would go on to score once more to earn the victory 5-2.
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Katelyn Massa's 2 RBI in the second game brought her total to 5 on the day. She was 3-5 at the plate. Massa also caught a runner stealing in the second game. Blaylock moved Vermejan to the leadoff spot for both games, a move that proved to pay off. She went 4-7 on the game with 4 runs scored. Blaylock cited Vermejan's .528 on base percentage as the reason for the switch.
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The Salukis play in the rubber match against Loyola tomorrow at noon; the game has been moved back an hour from the original start time.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jones, Brianna (13-1)
L: Dolezal, Keenan (3-7)
Batting:
RBI: DeChant, Peyton 1
SH: O'Brien, Jamie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lea, Kristin 1
Batting:
2B: Jansen, Jenny 1 ; Massa, Katelyn 1
HR: Spicer, Jordan 1
RBI: Baranski, Susie 1 ; Jansen, Jenny 1 ; Massa, Katelyn 3 ; Brown, Megan 1 ; Jones, Sydney 1 ; Spicer, Jordan 1
SH: Baranski, Susie 1 ; Andrus, Haley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vermejan, Maddy 2 ; Baranski, Susie 1 ; Jansen, Jenny 2 ; Pulley, Bailee 1 ; Boelens, Maris 1 ; Decker, Kyleigh 1 ; Spicer, Jordan 1
HBP: Vermejan, Maddy 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UT/P
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballIF/OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
C/DP
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
1B/DP
/ Softball
INF
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