Box Score

Feb. 9, 2008

By Kyle Herm
www.SIUSalukis.com

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Southern Illinois softball team crushed the Jacksonville Dolphins, 14-1, in six innings Saturday night at the Jacksonville University Tournament.

A little more than eight hours after defeating Minnesota, 11-4, with 16 hits Saturday morning, the Salukis continued the hot-hitting when the sun went down in the evening game against the Dolphins.

The Southern Illinois offense posted 12 hits, two home runs, four stolen bases and drew seven walks in the win. SIU's 14 runs were the most since last year's 14-1 victory at Northern Iowa on April 21, which was a season-high for the Salukis.

Freshman pitcher Nikki Waters earned her second victory of the season, allowing one run on six hits in six innings pitched.

The SIU offense was led by senior first baseman Lauren Haas who recorded a career-high five runs batted in, and hit a three-run home run. Senior outfielder Tiffanie Dismore also had a career-high four hits at the plate with three runs scored, and an RBI, and freshman outfielder Chelsea Held hit her first career home run with two RBI.

Haas started the game off in the top of the first with a two-out three-run home run to put SIU up, 3-0. It was her first homer of the season, and the Salukis' third of the season.

Jacksonville answered with its only run of the game in the bottom of the first inning. The Dolphins' catcher, Jessica Abrahams hit an RBI-single up the middle just past Waters to make the score, 3-1.

Southern Illinois responded with two more runs in the top of the second inning on a lead-off home run by Held, and an RBI single by Dismore to increase the Salukis' lead, 5-1.

After a scoreless third inning, SIU hammered out three more runs on a two-RBI single by sophomore second baseman Alicia Garza, and an RBI-groundout by Haas to push the lead to, 8-1.

The Salukis added six more runs in the top of the sixth inning. SIU drew three-straight bases-loaded walks to put three more runs on the scoreboard, and sophomore Allie Hanson smacked a line-drive bases-loaded single that made it all the way to the center field wall which scored Held, senior Clare Ford, and Haas to make the final, 14-1.

Southern Illinois led by more than eight runs after the sixth inning, so the game was called after the bottom of the sixth.

SIU takes on Minnesota for its final game of the tournament, Sunday at 9 a.m. ET.