Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

April 2, 2008

By Kyle Herm
www.SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Salukis softball team (19-15, 5-3 MVC) picked up a pair of wins Wednesday against Saint Louis, 5-0, 5-2, at Charlotte West Stadium for their second straight doubleheader sweep. Freshman pitcher Nikki Waters earned the complete-game, three-hit shutout win in game one, while junior Katie McNamara won game two in 3 2/3 innings of relief.

Southern Illinois has now won four games in a row, and improved to 7-0 in its last seven home games. Saint Louis fell to 12-20-1 overall following the two-game sweep.

SIU will conclude its eight game homestand with a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series against Indiana State this weekend with a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. on Saturday, and a single game on Sunday at noon.

Game One - Southern Illinois 5 Saint Louis 0
Southern Illinois broke open a scoreless game in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. With two runners on and no outs, senior first baseman, Lauren Haas, crushed a three-run home run, her fourth of the season, to right field for the go-ahead and eventual game winning blast.

The homer also extended her career-long hit streak to eight games, and moved her into a tie for 21st all-time for career home runs with 21.

The three runs were all freshman starter, Nikki Waters needed to secure the Saluki victory, as the righthander limited SLU to only three hits in the game, and recorded eight strikeouts, one away from her career high.

SIU added two more runs in the ensuing bottom of the fifth. Junior outfielder, Katie Schmidt led-off with a double, and following a Krystal Stein walk and sacrifice bunt by Alicia Garza, freshman Chelsea Held drove in Schmidt and Stein on a single to right field to make the final, 5-0.

Waters improved to 10-8 on the season, and junior third baseman, Katie Wagner went 2-for-3, along with Haas' three RBI, and Helds' two runs driven in to lead the SIU offense.

The Shutout win was the first for the Salukis since topping Western Illinois, 5-0, at home during the Coach B Southern Classic on March, 1.

Game Two - Southern Illinois 5 Saint Louis 2
The Salukis started quick in game two by pushing a run across in the bottom of the first.

With sophomore Alicia Garza on second base, junior third baseman Katie Wagner hit a RBI-double that fell just inside the left-field foul line to score Garza to give SIU an early lead, 1-0.

Southern Illinois added to its lead in the bottom of the third. Wagner smoked a two-out double, and scored on the ensuing play after SLU's shortstop Rachel Heet made an error on a throw to first base to put SIU up, 2-0.

Saluki freshman starter, Danielle Glosson, held Saint Louis' offense quiet early by striking out six batters, and not allowing a hit through the first three innings.

The Billikens got their first runs of the doubleheader though in the top of the fourth on a pair of hits, and two costly Saluki errors to even the score, 2-2.

Following the two runs, junior Katie McNamara entered the game in relief of Glosson and immediately made an impact. The Putnam Valley, N.Y. native got the final two outs of the fourth on a strikeout and popout to halt any more runs from scoring.

Southern Illinois used the pitching momentum by McNamara to plate three runs in the bottom of the fourth. With the bases load and no outs, freshman catcher Cristina Trapani drew a walk to put SIU up, 3-2, for the eventual game winning run.

Garza followed with a RBI-sacrifice fly to center field, and Wagner drove in her second RBI of the game on a single to make the final score, 5-2.

McNamara went on to secure the win, throwing a scoreless and perfect final three frames with five more strikeouts. She finished the game fanning a career-high six batters and improved to 7-2 on the season.

Although Glosson earned a no-decision, she also performed well in the circle by only allowing two hits, and two unearned runs with six strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.

Wagner recorded her first three-hit game of the season, and juniors Jayme Wamsley and Katie Schmidt also went 2-for-3 to help lead SIU's offense in the win.