Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

March 29, 2008

By Kyle Herm
www.SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Saluki softball team (17-15, 5-3 MVC) ended their four-game losing streak with a pair of 2-1 victories against Illinois State (11-14, 1-4 MVC), to sweep the doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Charlotte West Stadium.

Freshman pitcher Danielle Glosson threw a complete-game three-hitter to pick up her second win of the season in game one, and SIU's other freshman hurler, Nikki Waters earned a complete-game victory after surrendering only five hits in game two.

The pair of wins kept the Salukis an undefeated 5-0 at home in conference play, and 6-3 overall at home this season.

Southern Illinois and Illinois State will conclude the three game series with a single-game on Sunday beginning at noon at Charlotte West Stadium.

Game One - Southern Illinois 2 Illinois State 1
With the Salukis trailing, 1-0, in the bottom of the sixth inning with one out, and senior outfielder Krystal Stein on second base, senior first baseman, Lauren Haas extended her hit streak to six games with a double into right-center field to score Stein and tie the game, 1-1.

Haas was able to move to third on the throw home, before bring up sophomore outfielder, Katie Wilson. Wilson delivered at the plate with a hard grounder up the middle for the go-ahead RBI, and eventual game-winning hit to put SIU up, 2-1.

Illinois State broke the scoreless pitchers' duel in the top of the fourth on a home run by designated player Abby Olson, that barely snuck inside the right field foul pole.

Southern Illinois had a great chance to answer in the bottom of the fifth, with a runner on second and no outs, but an out on the base paths, and a double play two batters later ended the scoring opportunity. SIU redeemed themselves though in the ensuing, two-run bottom of the sixth.

Glosson recorded six strikeouts and pitched her second complete-game in the victory.

"I thought Danielle (Glosson) did a tremendous job keeping us close, " SIU head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "Even after she gave up the home run our focus was that we leave it at one run to give our offense an opportunity."

Haas went 1-for-3 in the game with her seventh double of the season, and scored the game-winning run.

"Haas has been stepping up all year and did an outstanding job," Blaylock said. "I'm very proud of her."

Game Two - Southern Illinois 2 Illinois State 1
Game two provided another pitchers' duel with SIU freshman starter Nikki Waters, and Illinois State right-hander Rachel Smith facing off in the circle.

After a scoreless first inning, the Salukis drew first blood in the bottom of the second inning to take an early, 2-0, lead.

Sophomore outfielder, Katie Wilson, led-off the inning with a walk, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, to bring up freshman Chelsea Held. Held, who went 2-for-2 in game one, smoked a double into left-center field to score Wilson.

On the same play, Held came all the way around to score herself after the Redbirds' first baseman, Amber Smith took the cut-off, and in an attempt to get Held out at second base, threw the ball into right-center field.

The double, along with the Illinois State miscue, put the Salukis up, 2-0.

SIU thought they had added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth with senior Lauren Haas on third base.

Haas led-off with a double to extend her season-long hit streak to seven games, and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. In the ensuing at bat, senior Becky Wegmann lifted a fly ball into left field, which allowed Haas to score, but the home plate umpire called Haas out on the appeal by Illinois State, after leaving third early when trying to tag-up which kept the game at, 2-0.

Illinois State finally got to Waters in the top of the sixth, but solid defense by the Salukis limited the Redbirds to a single run. Lead-off hitter, Kara Nelson, sped around the bases for a triple to center field, yet was thrown-out at home by Haas on a fielder's choice hit by second baseman, Tiffany Prager, on the next play.

The put-out at home was key for securing the Salukis' lead, after Amber Smith and Abby Olson followed with back-to-back singles, which drove in Prager to draw Illinois State to with one, 2-1.

Southern Illinois left the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth after Illinois States' game one starter, Amber Smith, came in to get the final two outs to send the one-run game into the final frame.

Waters denied any comeback attempt from the Redbirds in the top of the seventh with a pair of fly outs sandwiched around her first strikeout of the game to give SIU, the 2-1 win.

"Nikki (Waters) did a great job getting ground-ball outs and worked to her strengths," SIU head coach Kerri Blaylock said."

Four different Salukis picked up hits in the game, but none bigger than the run-scoring double by Held, and heads-up base running for the game-winning run in the second inning.

"Held came up with such a big hit, and great base running and I really feel like we came to play today," Blaylock said. "This is definitely the type of softball I like to play, and I've very pleased."