Blaine Kinsey

GoSycamores.com

Despite scoring 11 runs in the bottom of the first inning the Indiana State softball team couldn't keep the Southern Illinois offense at bay as they got past the Sycamores by a final score of 16-14 Saturday at Price Field.

The Salukis got it going early as in the top of the first inning, their first three batters came around to score and to take a 3-0 lead over the Sycamores.

The early deficit did not faze the Sycamores as they batted around in the bottom of the first inning to score 11 runs and to take an 11-3 lead. With one out, junior second baseman Stephanie Robinson started a string of three straight Sycamore batters reaching on a base on balls. Junior Alyssa Marcum then crushed a grand slam to straight-a-way center field to put the Sycamores up 4-3.

Senior left fielder Stephanie Jonson then kept the Sycamore momentum going with a single followed by a double by freshman designated player Steviee Grove doubled to right center to score Jonson and a single from junior Hailey Tinsman to score Grove.

After a walk by freshman short stop Shelby Wilson and a single by freshman center fielder Alex Baumgart, Robinson hit a double to score Wilson and Tinsman and extend the Sycamore lead any further. Later in the inning, junior Olivia Andres hit a three-run home run to make it 11-3 Sycamores before the Salukis finally got out of the inning.

Both teams were quiet in the second and third innings before the Salukis responded in the top of the fourth inning. The Salukis used two home runs and a double to score four runs and cut the deficit to 11-7. Once again the Sycamores had an answer, however, as junior first baseman Bailey Wittenauer led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run and the very next batter, Andres, hit her second home run of the game to make it two in a row for the Sycamores and extend the lead to 13-7.

The Salukis were not finished however as they scored eight runs in the top of fifth inning to take their first lead of the game at 15-13 before adding one final run in the top of the sixth inning to make it 16-13. 

The Sycamores tried to rally as they scored one run in the bottom of the sixth but it was not enough as they eventually fell to the Salukis by a final score of 16-14.

Andres finished the game going 2-3 with two home runs, four RBI's and three runs scored for the Sycamores.

A double header was originally scheduled, however, due to poor weather conditions, the second game was postponed until tomorrow. Now the Sycamores and Salukis will play in a double header tomorrow beginning at noon.