Sunday, March 25
Carbondale, Ill.
1:00 p.m.
Southern Illinois University
18-0, 3-1
6
vs
3
Illinois State University
9-22, 0-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Illinois State
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
3
9
1
Southern Illinois
0
0
0
0
3
3
X
6
7
0
Salukis split series with Redbirds
03/25/2018 | 7:53:00 | Softball
The Salukis (18-11, 3-2 MVC) split a two-game series with fierce MVC rival Illinois State (10-22, 1-4 MVC) today following a multi-RBI performance from three players in the first game and running into a tough pitcher in the second game.
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"We played fabulously in the first game, but I'm a little frustrated that we can't string two games together. We need to be able to do that if we're going to be a good team in this conference," head coach Kerri Blaylock said.
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The first game of the day started as a pitcher's duel. Junior Brianna Jones got the start for SIU and Sarah Finck drew the start for Illinois State. Both pitchers held the opposing team scoreless through the first four and a half innings. Jones allowed four hits and struck out three through the first four while Finck forced the Salukis to groundout 11 times in the opening innings.
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Southern broke the deadlock in the fifth inning when freshman Jenny Jansen had a two RBI single that scored sophomores Susie Baranski and Maddy Vermejan. Later in the inning, senior Sydney Jones hit a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed freshman Meredith Wernig to score from third.
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Illinois State had an answer in the next inning. The redbirds scored first on a double, then twice on the next two at-bats to tie the game at 3-3.
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In the bottom of the sixth, Southern bounced back immediately and retook the lead. A walk, a hit by pitch and a single loaded the bases for sophomore catcher Katelyn Massa who hit a two-RBI single up the middle to give Southern a 5-3 lead. Two batters later Sydney Jones earned her second RBI of the game when she singled to score Baranski to make the score 6-3.
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Southern held Illinois State run less in the top of the seventh to earn the win. Massa, Jansen and Sydney Jones all went 1-3 on the day with two RBI. Brianna Jones improved to 15-1 on the year and threw her 13th complete game of the season.
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In the second game, Southern ran into Redbird pitcher Morgan Day who stifled the Saluki bats throughout the second game.
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The Redbirds scored a run in the second, two in the third and three more in the seventh to send the Salukis home with a 6-0 loss.
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Senior Savanna Dover was tacked with the loss despite allowing just two earned runs. She fell to 3-9 on the season.
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"Dover threw really well," Blaylock said. "She only gave up two earned through six which is what we ask her to do. We have to figure out a way to win a second ball game."
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Southern gets a slight break this week with no mid-week game scheduled, but hit the road for its first away Valley series on Friday at Valparaiso.
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"We played fabulously in the first game, but I'm a little frustrated that we can't string two games together. We need to be able to do that if we're going to be a good team in this conference," head coach Kerri Blaylock said.
Â
The first game of the day started as a pitcher's duel. Junior Brianna Jones got the start for SIU and Sarah Finck drew the start for Illinois State. Both pitchers held the opposing team scoreless through the first four and a half innings. Jones allowed four hits and struck out three through the first four while Finck forced the Salukis to groundout 11 times in the opening innings.
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Southern broke the deadlock in the fifth inning when freshman Jenny Jansen had a two RBI single that scored sophomores Susie Baranski and Maddy Vermejan. Later in the inning, senior Sydney Jones hit a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed freshman Meredith Wernig to score from third.
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Illinois State had an answer in the next inning. The redbirds scored first on a double, then twice on the next two at-bats to tie the game at 3-3.
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In the bottom of the sixth, Southern bounced back immediately and retook the lead. A walk, a hit by pitch and a single loaded the bases for sophomore catcher Katelyn Massa who hit a two-RBI single up the middle to give Southern a 5-3 lead. Two batters later Sydney Jones earned her second RBI of the game when she singled to score Baranski to make the score 6-3.
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Southern held Illinois State run less in the top of the seventh to earn the win. Massa, Jansen and Sydney Jones all went 1-3 on the day with two RBI. Brianna Jones improved to 15-1 on the year and threw her 13th complete game of the season.
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In the second game, Southern ran into Redbird pitcher Morgan Day who stifled the Saluki bats throughout the second game.
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The Redbirds scored a run in the second, two in the third and three more in the seventh to send the Salukis home with a 6-0 loss.
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Senior Savanna Dover was tacked with the loss despite allowing just two earned runs. She fell to 3-9 on the season.
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"Dover threw really well," Blaylock said. "She only gave up two earned through six which is what we ask her to do. We have to figure out a way to win a second ball game."
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Southern gets a slight break this week with no mid-week game scheduled, but hit the road for its first away Valley series on Friday at Valparaiso.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jones, Brianna (15-1)
L: Finck, Sarah (6-11)
Batting:
2B: Coursey, Andrea 1 ; Daly, Caitlyn 1
RBI: Coursey, Andrea 1 ; Phipps, Riley 1 ; Daly, Caitlyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Felde, Shannon 1 ; Strandgard, Riley 1 ; Coursey, Andrea 1
Batting:
2B: Fisher, Savannah 1
RBI: Massa, Katelyn 2 ; Jansen, Jenny 2 ; Jones, Sydney 2
SF: Jones, Sydney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vermejan, Maddy 2 ; Baranski, Susie 2 ; Wernig, Meredith 1 ; Decker, Kyleigh 1
HBP: Vermejan, Maddy 2 ; Baranski, Susie 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballIF/OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
C/DP
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
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