Southern Illinois University
5-4
Eastern Kentucky University
1-10
Saluki Softball splits on day one of Frost Classic
02/25/2022 | 9:19:00 | Softball
The Southern Illinois University softball team split on day one of the Frost Classic Friday. The Salukis defeated Eastern Kentucky, 7-0 in the opener but fell 4-0 to Chattanooga in the nightcap.
In the win over the Colonels, Southern scored at least one run in four of its six innings and utilized a dominate pitching performance from Sarah Harness to defeat the 2021 OVC Tournament Champions.Â
Harness was superb in the win. The 2021 Preseason All-MVC selection went the distance and surrendered just four hits, of which three were singles. She also struck out a career-high 15 and walked two.
"When Sarah can throw the ball on the plate and has the movement that she had today, everyone on our team knows that we are likely going to win," Associate head coach Jen Sewell said. "So it's just a matter of us going out and playing defense and hitting at that point."
Eight of SIU's nine starters reached base at least once in the win over the Colonels, led by Ashley Wood. Wood finished a triple shy of the cycle and was 3-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and a walk. The 2019 MVC Freshman of the Year reached base in seven of her eight plate appearances on Friday.Â
"Ashley cant miss right now because even when she misses its not a miss," Sewell said. "She knows that this is her final go at it and she's coming off an injury where she had to just sit and watch everybody play for a full year. So now she realizes you cant overthink the game too much and to just go out and play. You can tell she is free swinging right now and doesn't need a plan because she knows she can hit everything."
After Harness set Eastern Kentucky down in order in the top of the first, SIU used a pair of walks and a RBI-single from Sidney Sikes to plate two runs in the bottom half of the frame.
With SIU clinging to a two-run advantage in the top of the third, Eastern Kentucky loaded the bases with one out. Harness wasn't phased as she got a soft tapper back to the circle that she fired home for the inning's second out before striking out the next batter to preserve SIU's two-run lead.
Wood wasted little time adding to Southern's lead in the bottom of the frame, as she led off the inning with a solo home run to left field.
SIU broke the game open the following inning. The Salukis batted around and used three walks and three singles to score three more runs. Harness retired nine of the next 10 batters she faced to seal the win.
In the nightcap, Chattanooga plated a pair of runs in the third and fourth innings that were the difference. Southern had its chances- the Salukis tallied four hits, five walks and got runners on in five of seven innings, but couldn't come up with the big hit to break through.
Eberle was solid in the circle despite the loss. She threw six innings and allowed four earned runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts.
"We've got to figure out how to keep the energy behind both pitchers," Sewell said. "They're both pitching well. We cant use up all of our energy in the first game and then have none for game two. Sometimes it feels like we win the first game and we calm down."
In the third inning, Wood drew a two-out walk and Elizabeth Warwick doubled to left to move Wood to third but the Mocs got out of it.
After Chattanooga scored two with two outs in the third, Southern put runners on the corners with one out in the fourth but was unable to push one across. The story was the same in the fifth inning, as the Salukis loaded the bases with no outs but lacked the big hit to break the game open.
"We talked to our team after the game about two-out hitting," Sewell said. "It felt like Chattanooga threw some big two-out punches and we didn't throw a big punch early in the game with two outs. We also didn't do some of the little things that we have to do to maintain momentum."
Southern is back in action tomorrow against Northern Illinois (11:30 a.m. CT) and Butler (2 p.m. CT).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Harness, Sarah (3-2)
L: Todd, B. (0-6)
Batting:
2B: Miller, J. 1
Base Running:
HBP: Riley, J. 1
Batting:
2B: Wood, Ashley 1
HR: Wood, Ashley 1
RBI: Anthony, Emma 1 ; Wood, Ashley 2 ; Sikes, Sidney 2 ; Warwick, Elizabeth 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wood, Ashley 3 ; Jansen, Jenny 1 ; Hamilton, Rylie 1 ; Huckleberry, Elisabeth 1 ; Warwick, Elizabeth 1
SB: Warwick, Elizabeth 1
CS: DePron, Aubree 1
