Sunday, February 9
Fargo, ND
10 a.m. ET
Southern Illinois University
0-3
2
vs
5
North Dakota State University
1-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
North Dakota State
1
0
0
1
3
0
0
5
13
2
Southern Illinois
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
5
0
Salukis fall to NDSU at Carolina Classic
02/09/2020 | 2:00:00 | Softball
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Southern Illinois softball team fell 5-2 against North Dakota State on Sunday morning in its final game at the Carolina Classic. The game was tied 1-1 after three innings, but NDSU (1-3) surged ahead with four unanswered runs to take the lead and the win.
"It was a really tough tournament with great competition," 21st-year head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "We didn't do as well as I'd like, but that's not my assessment on how good my kids are and how good they can be."
SIU (0-3) fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first, but quickly answered back. Ashley Wood led off the bottom of the first with a walk and Jenny Jansen hit a single to advance Wood to third. Megan Brown drove a sac fly to left field to score Wood and tie the game, 1-1.
NDSU broke the tie in the fourth with a pair of two-out hits and added three runs the next inning, which increased the SIU deficit to 5-1.
The Salukis threatened in the seventh, as Maddy Vermejan drilled a two-out double to score Maris Boelens. However, Southern's next batter, Jansen, flew out to center for the final out.
Southern had opportunities to claw back, but hit 3-for-14 with runners on base. SIU left two runners on base in three innings and one runner on in the final frame.
Claire Miller made the start in the circle and gave up three hits and one run in one inning. She was replaced by newcomer Sarah Harness (0-2) after allowing a leadoff single in the second. Harness kept an explosive Bison offense in check through her first three innings of work. But in the fifth, NDSU pounded out four-straight hits for three runs off the freshman.
Carlee Jo Clark came in relief for Harness and induced the last two outs of the fifth. She went on to pitch the remainder of the contest. The freshman impressed, as she allowed no runs on three hits while striking out one in 2.2 innings.
"We just didn't play very well," Blaylock said, "I don't think we had a lot of energy and we came out flat. North Dakota State jumped on us a little bit because of it. But I thought Carlee Jo Clark gave us a lift and threw some quality innings."
At the plate, Southern was led by Jansen, who went 2-for-4. Sidney Sikes tabbed a hit, walk and sacrifice bunt. Boelens and Vermejan each recorded one hit as well.
"Sidney Sikes and Maris Boelens were hitting the ball well," Blaylock said. "It's a good sign because the core of our lineup has yet to get going."
Defensively, the Salukis committed no errors. Infielders Kyleigh Decker, Vermejan and Sikes each made hit-saving plays. Through three games, SIU has committed just one error.
NEXT UP
Saluki Softball will compete at the Spring Games from Feb. 14-16 in Madeira Beach, Fla. SIU is set to play Middle Tennessee, Purdue, South Dakota, Monmouth and Nicholls State in the three-day span.
"It was a really tough tournament with great competition," 21st-year head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "We didn't do as well as I'd like, but that's not my assessment on how good my kids are and how good they can be."
SIU (0-3) fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first, but quickly answered back. Ashley Wood led off the bottom of the first with a walk and Jenny Jansen hit a single to advance Wood to third. Megan Brown drove a sac fly to left field to score Wood and tie the game, 1-1.
NDSU broke the tie in the fourth with a pair of two-out hits and added three runs the next inning, which increased the SIU deficit to 5-1.
The Salukis threatened in the seventh, as Maddy Vermejan drilled a two-out double to score Maris Boelens. However, Southern's next batter, Jansen, flew out to center for the final out.
Southern had opportunities to claw back, but hit 3-for-14 with runners on base. SIU left two runners on base in three innings and one runner on in the final frame.
Claire Miller made the start in the circle and gave up three hits and one run in one inning. She was replaced by newcomer Sarah Harness (0-2) after allowing a leadoff single in the second. Harness kept an explosive Bison offense in check through her first three innings of work. But in the fifth, NDSU pounded out four-straight hits for three runs off the freshman.
Carlee Jo Clark came in relief for Harness and induced the last two outs of the fifth. She went on to pitch the remainder of the contest. The freshman impressed, as she allowed no runs on three hits while striking out one in 2.2 innings.
"We just didn't play very well," Blaylock said, "I don't think we had a lot of energy and we came out flat. North Dakota State jumped on us a little bit because of it. But I thought Carlee Jo Clark gave us a lift and threw some quality innings."
At the plate, Southern was led by Jansen, who went 2-for-4. Sidney Sikes tabbed a hit, walk and sacrifice bunt. Boelens and Vermejan each recorded one hit as well.
"Sidney Sikes and Maris Boelens were hitting the ball well," Blaylock said. "It's a good sign because the core of our lineup has yet to get going."
Defensively, the Salukis committed no errors. Infielders Kyleigh Decker, Vermejan and Sikes each made hit-saving plays. Through three games, SIU has committed just one error.
NEXT UP
Saluki Softball will compete at the Spring Games from Feb. 14-16 in Madeira Beach, Fla. SIU is set to play Middle Tennessee, Purdue, South Dakota, Monmouth and Nicholls State in the three-day span.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Paige Vargas (1-0)
L: Harness, Sarah (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Cara Beatty 1 ; Sam Koehn 1
RBI: Dez Cardenas 1 ; Cara Beatty 2 ; Sam Koehn 2
SH: Cara Beatty 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Madyson Camacho 1 ; Montana DeCamp 1 ; Dez Cardenas 1 ; Kara Diaz 1 ; Cara Beatty 1
CS: Dez Cardenas 1
Batting:
2B: Vermejan, Maddy 1
RBI: Vermejan, Maddy 1 ; Brown, Megan 1
SH: Sikes, Sidney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wood, Ashley 1 ; Boelens, Maris 1
CS: DePron, Aubree 1
HBP: Massa, Katelyn 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
UT/P
/ Softball
P/IF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballIF/OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballC/INF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
IF
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