Southern Illinois University
7-6
Purdue Fort Wayne
1-12
Salukis run-rule Mastodons, 9-0 for Blaylock’s 700th career win
02/28/2020 | 5:58:00 | Softball
Blaylock is the quickest to reach the 700-win milestone in Missouri Valley Conference history.
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois University softball team won for the sixth time in its last seven games Friday, as the Salukis run-ruled Purdue Fort Wayne, 9-0 in six innings.
The win was the 700th of head coach Kerri Blaylock's illustrious coaching career. The Herrin, Ill. native is the quickest to reach the 700-win milestone in Missouri Valley Conference history and is one of only three coaches in conference history to win 700-plus games.
"The older I get and the further along I get in my career, win milestones just remind me of all of the great players that have played here and all of the assistant coaches that I have had that have put in the work," Blaylock said. "We've had a really good run with a lot of great people."
Southern plated two in each of the first two innings, added a run in the fifth and blew the game open with a four-spot in the sixth, highlighted by Jenny Jansen's walk-off, three run double.
Susie Baranski led off the bottom of the first with a single, Maddy Vermejan walked and Ashley Wood brought both of them into score on a double to gap in left. In the second, Sidney Sikes started off the frame with a double and she came into score on Maris Boelens' first career home run.
"We got off to a great start," Blaylock said. "Susie, Ashley, Maris and Sidney did a really good job of getting us going."
Claire Miller (1-1) was fantastic in the circle to earn her first win of the season. The Wayne City, Ill. native faced one over the minimum and allowed just a pair of singles. She also struck out eight batters, which is tied for her most as a Saluki.
"Claire was back to normal," Blaylock said. "She's been working really hard since she got hurt and was back to where she left off last season."
After Miller set the Mastodons down in order in the top of the fifth, back-to-back doubles by Katelyn Massa and Ashley Wood manufactured a run to put Southern ahead, 5-0.
Miller hung another zero in the sixth and Southern loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the frame. Vermejan drew a walk to bring one runner in and Jansen came through with the walk-off, three-run double to give Blaylock her 700th win.
Baranski was 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk while Wood was 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBI. Seven different Salukis recorded a base hit and SIU's five doubles were a season-high.
The Salukis (7-6) are back in action tomorrow with a doubleheader on day two of the Coach B Classic. Southern will take on Northern Kentucky at 12:15 p.m. before tangling with Creighton at 2:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Miller, Claire (1-1)
L: Shaina Eyre (1-3)
Batting:
2B: Jansen, Jenny 1 ; Massa, Katelyn 1 ; Wood, Ashley 2 ; Sikes, Sidney 1
HR: Boelens, Maris 1
RBI: Vermejan, Maddy 1 ; Jansen, Jenny 3 ; Wood, Ashley 3 ; Boelens, Maris 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Baranski, Susie 1 ; Vermejan, Maddy 2 ; Jansen, Jenny 1 ; DePron, Aubree 1 ; Wernig, Meredith 1 ; Johnson, Nicole 1 ; Boelens, Maris 2
SB: Vermejan, Maddy 1 ; Jansen, Jenny 1
