Southern Illinois University
1-0
Murray State University
0-1
Salukis take two on opening day
02/13/2021 | 10:52:00 | Softball
SIU's 2-0 start to the 2021 season is its first to open a season since 2014.
The Southern Illinois University softball team won both of its games at the Black and Gold Invitational in Hattiesburg, Miss. on Saturday. The Salukis won game one against Murray State, 3-1 and followed with 2-0 win over the North Dakota Fighting Hawks in the nightcap.Â
Southern's 2-0 start to the 2021 season is its first to open a season since 2014. The Salukis have now won 11-straight dating back to last season.
"We talked about it tonight as a team after the game- we want to win every game," longtime head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "We need to approach every game that way and not take anything for granted. We need to play every team tough. Tomorrow will be difficult because our pitchers haven't had the opportunity to throw that many innings on back-to-back days- we haven't even had a chance to simulate it - so we're going to have to really push through. But it felt like we were in mid-season form today. I know our offense wishes they could've done better but its early."
The story of the day was Southern's dominant pitching staff. The sophomore tandem of Sarah Harness and Carlee Jo Clark were both fantastic to open the 2021 season. Harness threw a complete game, three-hitter in the opener and Carlee Jo Clark followed with six innings of three-hit ball of her own in SIU's game two win. The Carol Stream, Ill. native didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning and sat down 14 of the first 15 batters she faced. Both Harness and Clark struck out eight batters. Freshman Madi Eberle came on in relief of Clark in the nightcap and struck out two of the three batters she faced to earn the save.
"Sarah had great command today," Blaylock said. "She told me she got a little tired towards the end of the game but she pushed through it. Carlee Jo also had great command. She was aggravated when I took her out (in the top of the seventh). I love that she is that much of competitor that it upsets her because she wanted to finish what she started. I just ask all of our players to realize I've been doing this a long time. All three of our pitchers are so competitive. It is so refreshing to have a staff where they all don't want to lose."
Southern's offense was led by its first-years. SIU's highly-touted freshmen class accounted for five of Southern's 10 total hits Saturday, which included two hits each from Elizabeth Warwick and Bailey Caylor. Caylor helped scored SIU's first run in the win over Murray State after she reached on an error and tallied a pair of base hits in her first collegiate game. Warwick, on the other hand, notched a hit in both wins which included her first extra base hit and her first collegiate run batted in.
And while the freshmen stole the show, it is important to note that all 19 Salukis played in some facet Saturday. Eight different Salukis notched at least one hit, 10 total reached base and numerous others contributed in ways that weren't necessarily as obvious on the stat sheet. For instance, Danyelle Eilers entered as a pinch runner in SIU's game two win over North Dakota and helped Southern manufacture a run with a perfectly executed double steal that scored Liz Huckleberry from third.
"Every single one of our players played today," Blaylock said. "In some form or fashion. There aren't that many teams that play 19 players. Weather they pinch-hit, pinch-ran, went in as a replacement or started the game- we used all 19 kids. We've always built our program around trying to utilize all of our kids and everyone stepped up today."
In the win over Murray State, SIU scored all three of its runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The Salukis got out to a 2-0 lead after Maddy Vermejan and Bailey Caylor set the table for Jenny Jansen. Vermejan was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored after Caylor reached on an error. Jansen then came through with a RBI-double to plate Caylor. Southern added an insurance run in the third on a two-out, RBI-single by Vermejan.
Harness faced one above the minimum through three innings and Southern's defense turned a pair of double plays to back her. A no-out single, followed by a walk, gave the Racers life in the fourth, but Harness pitched her way out of it, highlighted by back-to-back strikeouts to squelch the threat.Â
The Bowling Green, Mo. native ran into trouble in the sixth when an error extended the inning and Murray State halved SIU's lead with a two-out, RBI-single. But she pitched her way out of trouble and worked around a two-out walk in the seventh to earn the complete game victory.Â
SIU's 1-2-3 hitters, Maddy Vermejan, Bailey Caylor and Jenny Jansen went a combined 4-for-9 with two RBI and two runs scored.
In Southern's victory over the Fighting Hawks, SIU caught two-out lightning in the top of the second after a Huckleberry single, followed by Kerrigan Gamm's first collegiate hit to put runners on the corners. Eilers entered as a pinch runner and induced a throw from North Dakota's catcher that allowed Huckleberry to score easily from third.Â
In the fifth, Southern opened the frame with back-to-back walks and Warwick brought the lead runner in with a RBI-single. The two runs were more than enough for Clark, who ran into slight trouble in the seventh after she allowed a lead off double. Blaylock went to Eberle in relief, and the Gibson City, Ill. native struck out two of the three batters she faced to preserve the win.
The Salukis will play two again tomorrow to close out play at the Black and Gold Invitational. Southern will take on Murray State at 11:30 a.m., followed by a 2 p.m. game against Southern Mississippi.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Harness, Sarah (1-0)
L: JAMES (0-1)
Batting:
RBI: JACKSON 1
SH: CARROLL 1
Base Running:
RUNS: STRIEGEL 1
HBP: VEBER 1
Batting:
2B: Jansen, Jenny 1 ; Warwick, Elizabeth 1
RBI: Vermejan, Maddy 1 ; Jansen, Jenny 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vermejan, Maddy 1 ; Caylor, Bailey 1 ; Warwick, Elizabeth 1
SB: Vermejan, Maddy 1 ; Warwick, Elizabeth 1
HBP: Vermejan, Maddy 1 ; Warwick, Elizabeth 1
