Southern Illinois University
20-13, 9-5
Valparaiso University
9-21, 1-11
Salukis complete sweep of Beacons with 12-2 win on Monday
04/11/2022 | 4:54:00 | Softball
The Southern Illinois University softball team completed its three-game sweep of the Valparaiso Beacons with an emphatic 12-2 win on Monday.
The Salukis, winners of five-straight and nine of their last 10, scored early and often Monday. SIU plated at least one run in five of seven innings, which included a three-run second inning and five-run seventh. Southern outscored Valpo, 32-7 in its three-game sweep.
"Any time in the Valley that you can go on the road and play at a field that 99-percent of your team hasn't played at before and get a sweep, that is a pretty good weekend," interim head coach Jen Sewell said. "There were a lot of things that went on during our trip such as the change in schedule and the possibility of rain all the while we have to prepare to get on the road early next week for Friday's doubleheader at Bradley. So I was definitely glad that we settled in and put together three good games."
SIU starting pitcher Sarah Harness did the rest, as she needed just 88 pitches to toss her 13th complete game of the season. The junior hurler allowed just one earned run on six hits. She struck out four and walked only one to improve to 13-7 on the season.
"Sarah is really locked in right now," Sewell said. "She is in a spot where I feel like she can almost call her own game. She's so settled. She's got all of her pitches right now and can kind of look over at me and tell me what she wants to do with each hitter. Both Madi (Eberle) and Sarah are starting to peak right now, which is really good timing for us."
Southern's offense did as it has done throughout the season, as it worked long counts and put the stress on Valpo's pitchers. The Salukis pounded out 13 hits and drew 10 walks, which marked the third time in its last five games that SIU has posted double-digit hits and double figure walks in the same game.
"It shows how deep we are offensively," Sewell said of Southern's string of 10-plus hit/walk games. "It really speaks to the bye-in offensively. We are just passing the bat right now. Any time we are able to draw that many walks and get that many hits, everyone is going to get theres. We can keep turning the lineup over and over again and when your eight-hole hitter is homering, you're going to have a good day."
11 different Salukis reached base at least once in the win, which included six with at least one hit. Wood led the way, as she went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and two home runs. Warwick went 3-for-4 with a double while Hamilton posted her 17th multi-hit game of the season, as she went 2-for-4 with a walk.
SIU wasted little time getting on the board in the top of the first courtesy of a sacrifice fly by Sidney Sikes. After Harness hung her first zero in the bottom half of the first, Southern added to its it lead in the top of the second. Elizabeth Warwick drew a leadoff walk and Elisabeth Huckleberry followed with her third home run of the season to put SIU ahead 3-0. Bailey Caylor followed with a walk and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch.
After Valpo took advantage of a pair of uncharacteristic Saluki fielding errors to get a run back in the bottom of the second, Southern pushed its lead back to four thanks to a RBI-groundout from Huckleberry.
In the fourth, Wood and Hamilton hit back-to-back solo home runs to lead off the frame.Â
Southern continued its offensive assault in the seventh. Wood once again got the scoring started with her second solo home run of the game. After a single and a walk gave SIU runners in scoring position with one-out, Kerrigan Gamm came through with a RBI-single and Warwick later cleared the bases with a one-out double. Valpo used a walk and two hits to get a run back in the seventh but that was all they could get.
The Salukis are back in action on Friday, April 15 when they play two at Bradley. First pitch of Friday's doubleheader is set for 3 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Harness, Sarah (13-7)
L: Kowalski, Caitlyn (0-4)
Batting:
2B: Wood, Ashley 1 ; Warwick, Elizabeth 1 ; Huckleberry, Elisabeth 1
HR: Wood, Ashley 2 ; Hamilton, Rylie 1 ; Huckleberry, Elisabeth 1
RBI: Wood, Ashley 2 ; Hamilton, Rylie 1 ; Sikes, Sidney 1 ; Gamm, Kerrigan 1 ; Warwick, Elizabeth 3 ; Huckleberry, Elisabeth 3
SH: DePron, Aubree 1
SF: Sikes, Sidney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wood, Ashley 3 ; Hamilton, Rylie 2 ; Eilers, Danyelle 1 ; Christeson, Jenna 1 ; Gamm, Kerrigan 1 ; Austin, Emma 1 ; Warwick, Elizabeth 1 ; Huckleberry, Elisabeth 1 ; Caylor, Bailey 1
SB: Warwick, Elizabeth 1
HBP: Sikes, Sidney 1
Batting:
RBI: Herschbach, Taylor 1 ; Westphal, Jaina 1
SH: Hecker, Regi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tonoian, Taylor 1 ; Weaver, Addi 1
