Southern Illinois University
10-6
Purdue Fort Wayne
1-15
Salukis go 5-0 at Coach B Classic
03/01/2020 | 8:16:00 | Softball
Southern won both of its games on Sunday in walk-off fashion.
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois University softball team won all five of its games at the Coach B Classic after it won both of its games in walk-off fashion on Sunday. SIU run-ruled Purdue Fort Wayne, 8-0 in five innings and defeated Murray State, 8-6 in eight innings.
Susie Baranksi came through with a RBI-single with one out in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game against Murray State at 6-all. After Sarah Harness, who came on relief of Claire Miller, retired the side in the eighth, Kyleigh Decker hit an opposite field home run, her second of the game, to give Southern an 8-6 walk-off win.
"I thought the win over Murray State showed our guts and our grit," 21st-year head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "We had several special performances over the weekend- Susie, Kyleigh, Sarah and getting Claire back on the mound come to mind. It was a great team win. Hopefully it's a signature win that will propel us."
Decker had a monstrous weekend at the plate, as she hit .692 (9-for-13) with three home runs, nine RBI, four walks, a double and two stolen bases.
"Kyleigh came through for us all weekend long," Blaylock said.
As good as Decker was at the dish, Harness was even better in the circle. The freshman hurler was electric in her 15 innings of work over the weekend. She didn't allow a run, surrendered just nine hits, walked only one and struck out 22. She earned the win over Purdue Fort Wayne to begin the day and returned in the seventh against Murray State to pick up the victory in relief.
Against the Racers, Murray State took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Southern responded with four unanswered runs over the next two innings to take a 4-2 lead before the Racers countered with a four-spot in the fourth.
Decker's first home run of the game- a solo shot in the fifth- cut SIU's deficit in half before Baranski's game-tying single in the seventh sent the game to extra innings, where Decker's blast gave Southern its fifth-straight win.
In the victory over the Mastodons, SIU scored all eight of its runs in the final three innings of the contest.
The onslaught began in the third inning as Southern used three hits and a walk to manufacture three runs highlighted by back-to-back RBI-singles from Ashley Wood and Decker.
After Harness blanked Purdue Fort Wayne in the top of the fourth, Southern hung a crooked number with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame. Boelens and Maddy Vermejan both came through with one-out singles and Wood brought both around to score on a RBI-single to right center to put SIU ahead 5-0.
Harness retired the side in order in the top of the fifth, which included her 10th strikeout of the game. Sidney Sikes led off the home-half of the frame with a single and her pinch runner Aubree DePron came in to score on an infield single by Nicole Johnson. Baranski and Boelens followed with singles before Tori Schullian's game-winning double to the gap in left brought both Johnson and Baranski in to score. The walk-off double was the first extra base hit of Schullian's collegiate career.
Harness went the distance and allowed just two hits while striking out 10.
Baranski went 3-for-4 with two runs scored while Boelens was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Ashley Wood was 2-for-3 with three RBI and Schullian had Southern's only extra base hit with her walk-off double in the fifth.
Southern's 24 total hits (12 in each win) on Sunday were its most in consecutive games this season. The Salukis have now won five-straight and 11 of their last 12 games.
SIU is back at home next weekend when they host the Saluki Invitational. The three-day event begins on Friday, March 6.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Harness, Sarah (6-4)
L: Shaina Eyre (1-3)
Batting:
2B: Madeline Swart 1
Batting:
2B: Schullian, Tori 1
RBI: Schullian, Tori 2 ; Jansen, Jenny 1 ; Wood, Ashley 3 ; Decker, Kyleigh 1 ; Johnson, Nicole 1
SH: Vermejan, Maddy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Baranski, Susie 2 ; Boelens, Maris 2 ; Vermejan, Maddy 1 ; Jansen, Jenny 1 ; DePron, Aubree 1 ; Johnson, Nicole 1
SB: Jansen, Jenny 1 ; Wood, Ashley 2 ; Decker, Kyleigh 1 ; DePron, Aubree 2
HBP: Decker, Kyleigh 1 ; Sikes, Sidney 1
