Southern Illinois University
29-10
Saint Louis University
16-22
Salukis fall to Billikens, 3-2
04/22/2021 | 8:14:00 | Softball
ST. LOUIS — The Southern Illinois University softball team loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh but couldn't get the hit it needed as St. Louis University escaped with a 3-2 win Thursday.
The Salukis (29-10) notched double-digit hits for the third-time this season but struggled to come up with the big hits that were needed to break the game open. SIU stranded 13 runners, which included at least one in all seven innings and were just 2-of-12 (.167) with runners in scoring position.
St. Louis, on the other hand, cashed in on the limited opportunities it had with runners in scoring position (RISP). The Billikens were 2-for-5 (.400) with RISP, which included back-to-back RBI-singles in the fifth that barely made it to the outfield grass to take a 3-2 lead.
"You gotta give St. Louis credit- they were ready to play and came up big today," head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "I felt like we were flat today and I didn't feel like it was the same team that I saw at Illinois State last weekend."
Southern took a 1-0 lead in the second, as Elisabeth Huckleberry doubled and came around to score on a single by Sidney Sikes. The Billikens answered with a home run that just got over the left field fence to knot the game at 1-all after two innings.
The Salukis retook the lead in the fifth, as Maddy Vermejan manufactured a run on the base paths. Vermejan walked, then stole both second and third before Bailey Caylor brought her in to score with a single. Southern loaded the bases with two-outs in the fifth, but couldn't add to its lead. The Billikens made them pay in the bottom half of the frame, as SLU used four-straight two-out singles to take a 3-2 lead that stood up.
Carlee Jo Clark got the start in the circle and lasted three innings and gave up just one earned run on three hits with two strikeouts. Sarah Harness took the tough luck loss in relief, as she allowed just two earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and no walks.
At the plate, Huckleberry went 2-for-2 with two walks, a double and a RBI. She was one of four Salukis with multi-hit games and was joined by Caylor (2-for-3), Jenny Jansen (2-for-4) and Maris Boelens (2-for-4).
The Salukis, who now have just 10 games remaining in the 2021 regular season, travel to Terre Haute, Ind. this weekend to take the Sycamores. First pitch of Saturday's twin bill is set for 12 p.m. ET.
NOTES
Vermejan's two stolen bases give her 24 on the season and 55 for her career … Her 24 stolen bases are the most in a single-season by a Saluki in 25 years (Jami Kloss, 1996) and are tied for the third-most in a single-season in school history …Vermejan needs two steals to break SIU's single-season record … Vermejan has stolen at least one base in five of her last six games … Jansen extended her on-base streak to 21 games with her two hits Thursday … Massa and Caylor each extended their on-base streaks to 10 games on Thursday … Caylor's multi-hit game was her team-best 11th of the season … Clark has walked 1 or fewer batters in 17 of her 20 appearances this season … Huckleberry notched her third multi-hit game of the season, and second in her last three games, and tied her career-bests in walks (2), runs scored (1) and doubles (1) … Vermejan's run in the 5th was her 45th this season and 161st of her career … Vermejan is now two away from breaking Mallory Duran-Sellers career record of 162 … SLU's win on Thursday was just it's fifth victory over SIU in 54 all-time meetings.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: HANNER, Kaili (1-4)
L: Harness, Sarah (15-4)
S: WENDLING, Chloe (2)
Batting:
2B: Huckleberry, Elisabeth 1
RBI: Caylor, Bailey 1
SH: Sikes, Sidney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vermejan, Maddy 1 ; Huckleberry, Elisabeth 1
SB: Vermejan, Maddy 2
Batting:
HR: ETLING, Kelsey 1
RBI: KOWALIK, Gabbie 1 ; CHAVEZ, Alyssa 1 ; ETLING, Kelsey 1
SH: STEVENSON, Kristi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: LANE, Kat 1 ; WISE, Sadie 1 ; ETLING, Kelsey 1
SB: WISE, Sadie 1
