Southern Illinois University
14-12, 4-4
Loyola University Chicago
8-15, 2-4
Salukis complete sweep of Ramblers with 6-2 win on Sunday
03/27/2022 | 5:05:00 | Softball
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois University softball team completed its second-straight three-game sweep of the Loyola Ramblers with a 6-2 win Sunday.
"Everybody likes to win," Interim head coach Jen Sewell said. "It is a good feeling when you go to bed at night. We don't count wins and losses as much as everyone else has, we have instead just counted adjustments. If it shows up in the game, we try to build confidence off of it. We try to win every game that we play, especially in the Valley, so any time we can get a home sweep it is great."
Saluki pitchers Madi Eberle and Sarah Harness combined to hold the Ramblers to just four hits through five innings and the Salukis scored three runs in both the first and sixth innings to seal their first MVC sweep of the season.
Eberle got the start in the circle and went three-and-two-third innings, as she allowed one earned run on four hits. Harness earned the win to improve to 8-7 on the season after she threw three-and-one-third innings and allowed one earned run on four hits. The duo combined to allow just four earned runs in 21 innings of work in the sweep of the Ramblers.
"To get three solid outings, that is the consistency we have been looking for," Sewell said of her pitchers. "Both Sarah and Madi understand that in this day and age they don't have to finish the game. They just have to get their outs and then we can turn it over to someone else. I was super impressed with the way Sarah and Madi both got in work today and both got outs."
Southern struck first in the bottom of the first, as Jenny Jansen's RBI-single and a two-run double from Elizabeth Warwick gave SIU a 3-0 lead.
The Ramblers countered with a run in the third and later made it a one run game with a two-out double in the top of the sixth. Harness limited the damage though, as she induced a popup on the next pitch to leave the Loyola runners stranded at second and third.
The Salukis, sensing that they had just dodged a potential knockdown blow from the Ramblers, strung together three hits and a walk to plate three runs and provide more than enough insurance for Harness to seal the win.
The usual suspects provided the offense for the Salukis in the sixth inning. Jansen tallied her career-high tying fourth hit of the game, a RBI-single, and Rylie Hamilton clubbed a bases clearing triple to put Southern ahead for good at 6-2.
"We kept talking throughout the game that if we didn't throw a big punch that we were one swing away from this being a different game," Sewell said. "Again, Jenny Jansen and Rylie Hamilton continue to get multi-hit games. If the game is going to come down to one at-bat, either of them would be who we would want at the plate."
Southern tallied double-digit hits for the eighth time this season. Four Salukis accounted for all 12 hits: Rylie Hamilton, Jenny Jansen, Elizabeth Warwick and Sidney Sikes. Hamilton was 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI while Jansen was 4-for-4 with two RBI. Both Warwick and Sikes set career-bests with the first three-hit games of their respective careers.
The Salukis are back in action on Wednesday, March 30 when they host the SEMO Redhawks. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Notes
Hamilton now has 13 multi-hit games in 26 games this season … Jansen's four hits not only tied a career-best but it moved her into a tie with Jen Feldmeier for most career hits in program history …
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Harness, Sarah (8-7)
L: Broniewicz, Andie (1-6)
Batting:
2B: Thomas, Amelia 1 ; Nalley, Hannah 1
RBI: Thomas, Amelia 1 ; Nalley, Hannah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ebeling, Madison 1 ; Wallace, Haley 1
SB: Thomas, Amelia 1 ; Wallace, Haley 1
Batting:
2B: Warwick, Elizabeth 2 ; Sikes, Sidney 1
3B: Hamilton, Rylie 1
RBI: Hamilton, Rylie 2 ; Jansen, Jenny 2 ; Warwick, Elizabeth 2
SH: Caylor, Bailey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Caylor, Bailey 2 ; Hamilton, Rylie 2 ; Jansen, Jenny 1 ; Christeson, Jenna 1
SB: Caylor, Bailey 1
CS: McGahey, Reagan 1
HBP: Wood, Ashley 1 ; Christeson, Jenna 1
