Box Score

March 7, 2008

By Kyle Herm
www.SIUSalukis.com

HONOLULU - The Saluki softball team came-from-behind to defeat the Netherlands National Team, 5-4, in an exhibition game at the Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament Friday afternoon. SIU scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to improve to 2-2 in the tournament.

The Salukis trailed, 4-2, in the bottom of the seventh, but tied the game, 4-4, on back-to-back bases-loaded RBI-singles by sophomore second baseman Alicia Garza and senior first baseman Lauren Haas.

The next batter, junior catcher Jayme Wamsley took an inside pitch for ball four on a full count to draw a game-winning walk to give SIU the 5-4 win.

"We beat a very good Dutch National Team, who beat Washington the day before," SIU head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "Danielle (Glosson) really kept us close, and we just didn't quit offensively. That's been the character of the team the last few years, and I hope this win will bring back that never-quit mentality."

The game and statistics counted towards the tournament, but were not added to Southern Illinois' season record and stats.

Netherlands got on the scoreboard first in the top of the first inning on a seeing-eye RBI-single up the middle by Debby Conner to put NL up, 1-0.

The Netherlands run would be the only offense for either team through the first three innings, as both starting pitchers held the offenses at bay.

Following the RBI-single, freshman starting pitcher Danielle Glosson retired eight-straight Netherlands batters in the second, third and fourth innings to keep the Salukis within reach.

Netherlands pushed another run across in the fourth on a one-out, RBI-single by Jolanda Kroesen to left field to give the Orange and Blue a 2-0 lead.

Senior outfielder Krystal Stein led-off with a slapped single, and following a pop-out, Garza lined a single into left field to put two runners on with one out.

After another pop-out, sophomore outfielder Katie Wilson provided the first Saluki run on a softly hit single that fell just inside the left foul line that scored Stein to bring SIU within a run, 2-1.

After a scoreless fifth inning, the Netherlands' Nathalie Timmermans increased NL's lead, 4-1, on a two-out two-run home run to left centerfield.

The 18-year-old catcher is a freshman at John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill., and faced SIU last fall when John A. Logan played in the Saluki Fall Invitational tournament.

Southern Illinois answered immediately in the ensuing bottom of the sixth.

Stein led-off with a triple to right field, and scored on a RBI-single by junior third baseman Katie Wagner to make it, 4-2.

Junior pitcher Katie McNamara entered the game in relief of Glosson with one out in the top of the seventh, and retired the first two batters she faced to end the inning and set up the SIU comeback.

Southern Illinois will take on Washington in the final game of round-robin play of the Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament on Saturday at 10 a.m. HT.

Gametracker live stats as well as live game audio will be available at the links below.

GameTracker

Live Audio