Southern Illinois University
13-0
University of Illinois - Chicago
3-6
Salukis win two Sunday to improve to 14-0
03/07/2021 | 9:07:00 | Softball
Southern's 23-game win streak is tied for the longest in the country.
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois University softball team improved to 14-0 on the season and have now won 23-straight dating back to last season after it won a pair of games Sunday to close out play at the Saluki Invitational. The Salukis rallied to take game one over University of Illinois-Chicago, 6-2 and followed with a 6-2 victory over St. Louis in the nightcap.
Southern's 14-0 start to the 2021 season is the best start to a season in program history. SIU's 23-game win streak, meanwhile, is tied with Oklahoma and Arizona for the longest active win streak in the country and it is also tied for the longest win streak in program history.
"We have to learn how to face adversity," head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "When we get into conference play, things aren't going to be easy. Like I continue to say, we're not going to go undefeated all year. I try to take the pressure off of our kids so they can play free and easy by acknowledging that we will eventually lose but let's go down fighting and playing our brand of softball."
Southern's pitchers were the story of the day Sunday. Sarah Harness threw four innings of no-hit relief to help Southern rally from an early 2-0 deficit in the opener, while Madi Eberle carried a no-hitter into the seventh in SIU's win over St. Louis.
Harness was brilliant in her four innings of relief, as she didn't allow a hit and faced the minimum. She struck out six and didn't issue a walk to improve to 6-0 on the season.
Eberle, meanwhile, improved to 5-0 on the season after she carried a no-hitter into the seventh and gave up just three hits while striking out six.
"This is the best game that Madi has thrown so far," Blaylock said. "St. Louis is good hitting team. They've put multiple runs on people all season. So for her to no-hit them through six and a third, I thought she had a great day today."
SIU played clean defense to back Harness and Eberle, as it extended its errorless streak to 28 innings after it went without an error in both wins on Sunday.
"We had great pitching, played great defense and had timely hitting," Blaylock said. "I'm proud of our kids for the way that they battled. We saw all different types of pitching. We are playing 14-15 different kids regularly and we are still able to get it done. I'm really proud of them."
The Salukis scored six unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth innings to rally for a 6-2 win over the University of Illinois-Chicago Flames.
With Southern trailing UIC, 2-0, in the bottom of the fifth, Maddy Vermejan socked a one-out, solo home run to halve SIU's deficit. Maris Boelens followed with a single and Jenny Jansen walked to set the table for Ashley Wood, who stroked a single to left to tie the contest at 2-all.
After a 1-2-3 top of the sixth, SIU went back to work. Tori Schullian reached on an error to lead off the frame, Vermejan was plunked by a pitch and Boelens singled to load the bases. Jansen pushed a run across with a RBI-groundout and Wood cleared the bases with her second home run of the season.
"I knew she was going to come in with a drop ball inside," Wood said of her home run. "They got me out before on it and I knew they were going to come back to it because I hit that outside pitch so I just had to figure out how to get behind it and lift it."
Boelens and Wood led the way at the dish in the win over the Flames. Boelens went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk while Wood was 2-for-4 with a home run, a run scored and four RBI.
Against the Billikens, Jansen obliterated a 3-1 offering for her third home run of the season to stake SIU to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
After Eberle retired 10 of the first 11 batters that she faced, Southern added to its lead in the bottom of the third. Boelens led off with a single, Katelyn Massa walked and Wood brought them both in with single to right center. Elisabeth Huckleberry followed with her first collegiate extra base hit- a double to the gap in left- to plate Wood and put SIU up 4-0.
St. Louis got to Eberle in the seventh, as she retired the first batter of the inning before surrendering three-straight hits. She settled down and retired the final two batters to secure Southern's 23rd-straight win.
Jansen was 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk and a RBI in the win over the Billikens. Wood was 2-for-4 with three RBI.
The Salukis are back in action next weekend at UAB's Tournament in Birmingham, Ala. Southern will take on Ball State, UAB and Samford during the three-day event.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Harness, Sarah (6-0)
L: TONIOLO, Christina (2-2)
Batting:
2B: MCELLIGOTT, Tara 1 ; CASKEY, Dee Dee 1
RBI: KAELBER, Cassie 1 ; WEDL, Kayla 1
Base Running:
RUNS: INGLES, Maica 1 ; CASKEY, Dee Dee 1
SB: KAELBER, Cassie 1
Batting:
2B: Warwick, Elizabeth 1
HR: Vermejan, Maddy 1 ; Wood, Ashley 1
RBI: Vermejan, Maddy 1 ; Jansen, Jenny 1 ; Wood, Ashley 4
SH: Caylor, Bailey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vermejan, Maddy 2 ; Boelens, Maris 1 ; Jansen, Jenny 1 ; Wood, Ashley 1 ; DePron, Aubree 1
SB: Jansen, Jenny 1
HBP: Vermejan, Maddy 2 ; Boelens, Maris 1
