Box Score

May 8, 2008

By Kyle Herm
www.SIUSalukis.com

CARBONALE, Ill. - The No. 3 seed Southern Illinois softball team (30-24) was upset by No. 7 Missouri State (27-21), 5-0, Thursday night in the second round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Charlotte West Stadium. Missouri State will move on to play No. 2 Illinois State on Friday at 2:30 p.m.

The final 5-0 score was certainly not indicative of the majority of the game, which played out as a pitchers' duel between Southern Illinois freshman starter Danielle Glosson, and MSU senior hurler Melissa Porche.

Glosson, who set a career-high with 11 strikeouts, struck out seven of the first 10 batters she faced and only allowed two hits through the first four innings, while Porche allowed two first-inning hits, but threw six no-hit innings the remainder of the game.

The Salukis had their first, and best opportunity to score in the bottom of the first with senior Krystal Stein on second and sophomore Alicia Garza on first with two outs for junior Katie Wagner.

Wagner hit a soft bloop single over the first baseman's head, and in an attempt to score from second, Stein was thrown out at the plate in a run-down to end the inning.

From that point on it was all Porche, who went on to retire the next 16 batters, with 10 strikeouts to stifle the Saluki offense.

With the game still scoreless into the top of the fifth, Missouri State pushed across the first run of the game on a timely one-out RBI single to center field by Jenna Schwark, to put the Bears on top, 1-0.

Following a scoreless sixth inning, Missouri State broke open the one-run game with four unearned runs in the top of the seventh.

Elysha Swider, who scored the Bears' first run, led off the top of the seventh with a double into the gap in right-center field, and pinch-runner Ashley Arbon scored on a throwing error by Glosson, trying to get Schwark out at first on a bunt, to give MSU a 2-0 lead.

After a single by Brooke Kempker, Jessie Smith delivered the final blow with a two-out three-run home run to left field to put the Bears up, 5-0.

Southern Illinois had one last chance to rally with its backs against the wall in the bottom of the seventh.

Garza stuck out, but reached first on a wild pitch, and sophomore Katie Wilson walked to put two runners on with one out, but Porche got junior catcher Jayme Wamsley to popout to end the game, and comeback attempt.

Porche improved to 18-15 on the season, and Glosson moved into sole possession of 10th place all-time for career strikeouts with 131.