Salukis complete three-game sweep of Panthers with 7-5 win on Sunday

Sunday, April 28

Cedar Falls, IA

12 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

31-11, 15-5

University of Northern Iowa

22-22, 13-10

SIU

UNI

Photo by: Will Becque

Salukis complete three-game sweep of Panthers with 7-5 win on Sunday

04/28/2019 | 5:44:00 | Softball

Box Score

Southern’s sweep of UNI marks its fourth three-game sweep of a Valley opponent this season.

By: Will Becque, SIUSalukis.com

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The Southern Illinois University softball team completed a three-game sweep of the Northern Iowa Panthers Sunday with a 7-5, eight inning win in the series finale.

The series sweep of the Panthers is just the third three-game sweep at UNI in program history. Southern did so in 2005 and again in 2007 before completing the sweep on Sunday.

The win Sunday also capped off an impressive 10-game road swing for the Salukis. Southern, who hasn't played at home since April 6, went 8-2 during the stretch with both losses coming by just one run.

"I was just telling the kids that I don't think they understand how tough it is to do," head coach Kerri Blaylock said of sweeping the three-game set at Northern Iowa. "It's a long road trip and Northern Iowa is a very talented ball club. There were all these factors that we could have used as excuses- we played in the UNI Dome, where we aren't use to playing and we have been on the road for 10-straight games, but we just buckled down and played hard. I am really proud of our kids."

It was a total team effort for the Salukis, who pounded out 12 hits, including two home runs, to record double-digit hits for the sixth-straight game. Southern seemed to conjure up two-out lightning whenever it needed to Sunday, as all seven of SIU's runs were scored with two-outs.

"I'll continue to say it- Jen Sewell is one of the best hitting coaches in the country," Blaylock said. "If you look at our offensive statistics, our kids are prepared, they follow a plan and Jen does a great job of scouting our opponents. Our kids do an excellent job with preparation and know how to manage an at-bat. I thought our offense showed up big today."

In the circle, all three of SIU's pitchers, Brianna Jones, Claire Miller and Holly Marousek threw on Sunday. Marousek made her sixth start of the season and went three and one third innings and allowed just one earned run on four hits. Miler came on in relief of Marousek. She threw an inning and two thirds and gave up three earned runs on two hits before turning the ball over to Jones. Southern's ace didn't allow an earned run and surrendered just three hits in her three and a third innings of work to improve to 21-7 on the season.

"Holly, Claire and Brianna did a great job of complimenting each other," Blaylock said. "I told the three of them that we were going to need everyone and we did. It was a really good win."

Southern caught two-out lightning in back-to-back innings in the top of the second and third. Three-straight singles, capped off by a RBI-single by Susie Baranski, staked SIU to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second.

After Megan Brown lined a single off UNI starting pitcher Emmy Olejniczak, Jordan Spicer followed with her sixth home run of the season to put SIU ahead 3-0. It was Spicer's second home run of the series.

UNI got to Marousek in the bottom of the third to get a run back. A leadoff hit in the bottom of the fourth spelled the end of Marousek's day in the circle.

The Panthers took the lead in the bottom of the fifth with a bases loaded walk and a three-run double that put the home team ahead, 5-3.

Southern did more damage with two-outs in the top of the sixth. After Spicer drew a leadoff walk, Maddy Vermejan brought her into score with a two-out, two-run home run. It was Vermejan's fourth home run of the season.

After both sides hung zeroes in the seventh, Southern used a single by Sidney Sikes and a ground-rule double by Vermejan to put runners on second and third with one-out in the top of the eighth. A two-out walk by Jenny Jansen loaded the bases and Ashley Wood brought two in to score with a sharply hit grounder that UNI's shortstop Sammy Bunch booted.

Vermejan led the way at the plate Sunday as she went 3-for-4 and was a triple short of the cycle. Baranski was 2-for-5 with a RBI while Sikes went 2-for-3 to notch the first multi-hit game of her young collegiate career.

The Salukis return to Charlotte West Stadium on Wednesday, May 1 for their final mid-week game of the season against SIUE. Southern will close out the 2019 regular season when it hosts Bradley for a weekend series beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, May 4.