Southern Illinois University
11-12, 1-4
University of Northern Iowa
11-10, 3-0
Salukis fall to Panthers in series finale
03/20/2022 | 5:24:00 | Softball
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Northern Iowa Panthers used a six-run fifth inning to defeat the Southern Illinois University softball team, 8-3 on Sunday in the series finale inside Charlotte West Stadium.
Sunday's series finale was a see-saw battle that broke for the Panthers late. Southern, playing in the equivalent of its ninth game (including Wednesday's 15-inn. win over Mo. State) in the last seven days led 3-2 after four innings but ran out of gas late and the preseason MVC favorites pounced.
"Nobody likes to lose but we will be a different team in May when we likely meet them again," Sewell said. "UNI caught us in a rough spot- its been a crazy week with how we were scheduled through the first week of conference play. We need to get our feet under us and regroup and look ahead to our rivalry game against SEMO on Wednesday."
The Salukis plated the game's first run as it used a pair of walks and a two-out single from Elisabeth Huckleberry to push across a run the bottom of the second. The review system that has been put into place for the first time this season in Missouri Valley Conference play showed some of its limitations during the frame, much to the dismay of the Salukis. Southern looked as if it had successfully pulled off a one out double steal of second and third as Reagan McGahey appeared to slide under the UNI third baseman's glove. However, without the necessary camera angle to see the tag, the play could not be overruled and thus was the second out of the inning.
UNI re-took the lead in the third but the Salukis countered with two runs of its own in the form of Sidney Sikes' second home run in as many days in the fourth to retake the lead at 3-2. But the Panthers had the last laugh, as they used five walks and two hits to push across six runs in the top of the fifth. Southern had one last gasp, as it loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh but came up empty.
Huckleberry (1-for-2, walk, RBI), Sikes (1-for-2, home run, walk, 2 RBI), Jenny Jansen (1-for-4) and Bailey Caylor (1-for-3) each had a hit Sunday.
The Salukis are back in action on Wednesday, March 23 when they travel to Cape Girardeau, Mo. to take on the SEMO Redhawks. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: PACKARD, Kailyn (6-3)
L: Harness, Sarah (6-7)
Batting:
2B: SANDERS, Kylee 1
RBI: SHAFFER, Kamryn 1 ; SANDERS, Kylee 3 ; HOGAN, Taylor 1 ; LAMPRECHT, Daryn 2
Base Running:
RUNS: DODGE, Mya 2 ; MOSS, Sammy 2 ; SHAFFER, Kamryn 1 ; SANDERS, Kylee 1 ; HOGAN, Taylor 1 ; SNIDER, Brooke 1
SB: SNIDER, Brooke 1
HBP: MOSS, Sammy 1 ; SANDERS, Kylee 1
Batting:
HR: Sikes, Sidney 1
RBI: Sikes, Sidney 2 ; Huckleberry, Elisabeth 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hamilton, Rylie 1 ; Sikes, Sidney 1 ; Caylor, Bailey 1
SB: Caylor, Bailey 1
CS: McGahey, Reagan 1
