Southern Illinois University
15-12, 5-4
Drake University
7-17, 1-3
Salukis split doubleheader at Drake
04/02/2022 | 8:37:00 | Softball
Jenny Jansen became SIU's all-time hits leader in Southern's game one win.
The Southern Illinois University softball team split its Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader with the Drake Bulldogs on Saturday, April 2. The Salukis downed the Bulldogs, 8-1 in the opener before Drake held off SIU to take game two, 5-4.
Southern's win over Drake was its first victory in Des Moines since April 21, 2012. Jenny Jansen, who earlier this season became SIU's all-time RBI leader, broke Jen Feldmeier's 1997 school record for career hits with her 224th career base knock in the first inning of SIU's 8-1 win Saturday.
The Salukis won the opener behind yet another solid pitching performance from Sarah Harness. Harness threw all seven innings and allowed just one earned run on seven hits. She also struck out four. Harness came on in relief in game two and allowed just one hit in two innings of work.
"I really liked the way Sarah pitched," interim head coach Jen Sewell said. "Sarah commanded a lot of pitches and worked both sides of the plate. She threw some big pitches in big moments and got people out. It was good to see as she continues to return to the form that we know and are used to seeing."
The Salukis showed why they lead the conference in on-base percentage in their game one win. SIU drew 13 walks, which is the most walks in a Valley game since 2019 and it is the most walks in a game by SIU since at least 2003.
Seven different Salukis drew at least one walk, which included three each for Sidney Sikes and Bailey Caylor. Rylie Hamilton went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and a run scored. Elizabeth Warwick was 1-for-2 with 3 RBI and two walks.
Southern got out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first and later broke open the game with a six-run sixth inning to lock down the win.
SIUÂ sent eight hitters to the plate in the top of the first and used four walks and a single to plate a pair of runs and chase Drake's starting pitcher Nicole Timmons.
Drake got a run back on a controversial play in the bottom of the first. Tori Schullian made what appeared to be two-out sliding catch but the umpires convened and determined it to be a base hit, which allowed a run to score.
The Bulldogs threatened in the third, as they put runners on second and third with one out but Harness got back-to-back strikeouts to get out unscathed. Drake again put runners on second and third in the fourth but Hamilton's unassisted double play got SIU out of a jam again.
"It has been nice to play in tighter ballgames because it is good for our team to understand that we can get ourselves out of jams like that," Sewell said. "We can both pitch and defend our way out of jams like that and be okay. The score doesn't have to be lopsided for us to win."Â
Hamilton was an x-factor both offensively and defensively. Offensively, she tallied her 14th multi-hit game in the opener. Defensively, she turned a pair of unassisted double plays in game one and helped start a 5-4-3 double play in game two.
"I loved the way Rylie Hamilton played today," Sewell said. "Rylie picked up another two hits today and played all-American defense. She got us out of a couple of jams and ended up in the middle of three double plays."
After the Salukis left the bases loaded with no outs in the fifth, Southern broke open the game for good in the sixth. SIU sent 12 hitters to the plate and tallied three hit by pitches, three walks, two singles and took advantage of two Drake errors to plate its six runs.
In the nightcap, SIU got out to a 4-1 lead after two and a half innings of play. Drake tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the third and plated the game-winning run with a two-out single in the bottom of the fifth. Southern put the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second with one out in the top of the seventh, but couldn't come up with the hit it needed to complete the comeback.
"We have to be able to jump out to a lead and continue to extend it, especially when we are on the road," Sewell said. "We learned that lesson in game two when we sat on four runs. Most teams can score runs at any time. It doesn't take much to string together a couple of runs together."
Aubree DePron went 2-for-3 at the dish to lead the Salukis in game two. Jansen went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored.
The rubber match between the Salukis and the Bulldogs is slated for Sunday at Noon.
NOTES
Salukis drew 13 walks in their game one win which are the most walks in a single game by a Valley school since Missouri State drew 14 against Evansville on April 19, 2019 … SIU's 13 walks are tied for the ninth-most in a DI game this season.Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Harness, Sarah (9-7)
L: N. Timmons (3-9)
Batting:
2B: Hamilton, Rylie 1
RBI: Sikes, Sidney 1 ; Warwick, Elizabeth 3 ; Huckleberry, Elisabeth 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wood, Ashley 1 ; Jansen, Jenny 1 ; Eilers, Danyelle 1 ; Hamilton, Rylie 1 ; Schullian, Tori 1 ; Sikes, Sidney 1 ; Warwick, Elizabeth 1 ; Caylor, Bailey 1
HBP: Sikes, Sidney 1 ; Huckleberry, Elisabeth 1
Batting:
2B: L. Ryan 1
RBI: P. Bedsworth 1
SH: D. Taylor 1 ; A. Lara 1
Base Running:
RUNS: D. Taylor 1
SB: D. Taylor 1 ; P. Bedsworth 1
HBP: A. Lara 1
