Southern Illinois University
32-11, 14-7
Valparaiso University
5-29, 1-18
Salukis take two from Valpo on Senior Day
05/01/2021 | 9:21:00 | Softball
Southern clinched its sixth MVC series win with the doubleheader sweep Saturday
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Sarah Harness and Madi Eberle combined to allow one run on 10 hits to lead the Southern Illinois University softball team to a doubleheader sweep of the Valparaiso softball team on Saturday, May 1 inside Charlotte West Stadium. Southern took the opener, 3-0 and followed with a 3-1 win in the nightcap.
"I was a little disappointed offensively, but you have to give Valpo credit," head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "They made big pitches when they had to. But to come away with two wins- you can't complain. We've won 33 ball games. I find it hard to complain when we're 33-11. I told them at the conference tournament, we only need to score one more run than our opponent. But I also said I wanted them to get locked in for tomorrow."
Harness held Valpo to four hits in a 3-0 win in the opener, while Eberle scattered six hits on one run in the nightcap.
The Salukis won the first game with a run in the second, the third and the fifth. Jenny Jansen, who went 3-for-3 with a run scored, two doubles and two RBIs, was directly involved in all three runs.
In the second inning, Jansen socked a leadoff double and Katelyn Massa brought her in to score with a one-out single. After Maddy Vermejan led off with a walk and stole second in the third inning, Jansen hit a two-out double to bring her in. In the fifth, Jansen crushed a single to left to plate the game's final run.
"Jenny is hitting the ball well and playing good defense," Blaylock said. "She was very locked in today."
Southern's defense came up with several highlight worthy plays to back Harness. Jansen laid out to steal a hit in the fourth. Sidney Sikes then snared a grounder and touched third to start a 5-3 double play to get SIU out of the inning unscathed. In the fifth, Maris Boelens dove in center field to steal another hit from Valpo.
Harness went the distance to improve to 18-4 on the season. The sophomore hurler allowed four hits and struck out four.
In game two, Southern scored a run in the first and then tacked on a run in the fourth and the fifth before Valpo plated a run with two-outs in the seventh.
Vermejan led off the first with a single, stole second and came around to score on single by Boelens.
After Eberle kept the Brown and Gold at-bay, Southern strung together three-straight hits to open the bottom of the fourth, capped off by a RBI-single by Elizabeth Warwick.
In the fifth, Vermejan sold out for a pop up that looked destined to find the outfield grass. She then fired the ball to third to double up Valpo's runner who left early attempting to tag up. Bailey Caylor and Jansen singled in the bottom of the fifth and Massa brought Caylor in with a sacrifice fly.
Eberle did the rest for SIU from the circle, as she allowed just one run on six hits and didn't allow a walk.
Eight different Salukis recorded a hit in game two, led by Bailey Caylor's 2-for-3 day at the dish.
Vermejan further cemented her place in Saluki softball lore as she set the all-time career runs record when she scored on Jansen's single in game one. In game two, she stole second in the first inning to break SIU's single-season stolen base record, a record that had stood for 25 years.
"I wouldn't of broken either record without my team," Vermejan said. "I try not to think about records but the girls brought it up between games and I was like, 'that stuff doesn't matter- as long as we got the W.' The numbers will always come but it was my teammates who helped me get there."
Saturday was bookended by emotional moments. Prior to game one, Blaylock was surprised with a special ceremony to honor her becoming SIU's all-time wins leader, complete with a special appearance by the record's previous holder, legendary head coach and fellow Herrin, Ill. native Itchy Jones. The doubleheader sweep was followed by Southern's Senior Day festivities, in which the Salukis honored their five seniors- Vermejan, Massa, Boelens, Meredith Wernig and Holly Marousek.
"I was super surprised," Blaylock said of Jones' appearance at Saturday's doubleheader. "I know Itchy spends a lot of time in Florida. For him to come here and do that, it meant the world to me. I've known him since I was a little kid and I idolized him. It was really a great moment."
The Salukis will go for the sweep of Valpo tomorrow at 11 a.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Harness, Sarah (18-4)
L: Kowalski, Caitlyn (4-13)
Batting:
SH: Burke, Addi 1
Base Running:
SB: Westphal, Jaina 1
Batting:
2B: Caylor, Bailey 1 ; Jansen, Jenny 2
RBI: Jansen, Jenny 2 ; Massa, Katelyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vermejan, Maddy 1 ; Caylor, Bailey 1 ; Jansen, Jenny 1
SB: Vermejan, Maddy 1 ; Boelens, Maris 1 ; Jansen, Jenny 1 ; Eilers, Danyelle 1
HBP: Massa, Katelyn 1 ; Warwick, Elizabeth 1
