Blaine Kinsey

GoSycamores.com

Despite scoring 29 runs on the weekend, the Indiana State softball team was unable to avoid a sweep by the Salukis of Southern Illinois as they fell 8-5 and 12-7 in a double header on Sunday at Price Field.

Game One

Both teams got off to quick starts in the first inning as the Salukis scored one in the top half the inning before junior Bailey Wittenauer crushed a home run to left center field to tie the game at one.Despite scoring 29 runs on the weekend, the Indiana State softball team was unable to avoid a sweep by the Salukis of Southern Illinois as they fell 8-5 and 12-7 in a double header on Sunday at Price Field.

In the top of the third inning, the Salukis batted around and allowed their first six batters to score as they grabbed a 7-1 lead over the Sycamores.

The Sycamores started to claw their way back in the bottom of the fifth inning as sophomore Kim Pierce pinch hit for junior Hailey Tinsman and crushed a home run over the right center field wall to make the score 7-2.

Neither team could get any offense going in the sixth inning, however, in the top of the seventh inning the Salukis struck again and added one more run to extend their lead to 8-2. The Sycamores responded in the bottom half of the inning as junior Lindsey Beisser, pinch hitting for freshman designated player Steviee Grove, was hit by a pitch to advance to first. Freshman Danielle Ketner came in to run for Beisser before Pierce singled through the middle to advance Ketner to second. Freshman Shelby Wilson then singled to score Ketner and cut the lead to 8-3.

Freshman Alex Baumgart then grounded out but allowed Pierce to score to cut the lead to 8-4. Wittenauer then reached on an error by the Saluki third baseman to score Wilson and cut the Saluki lead to 8-5 but the Sycamore runs stalled as they dropped the first game by a final score of 8-5.

Game Two

The second game of the double header got off to a much slower start as neither team was able to get any runs across the plate until the top of the third inning when the Salukis struck first with three runs scored.

The Sycamores responded in the bottom half of the inning as junior second baseman led off the inning with a base on balls before junior Wittenauer reached on an error by the Saluki center fielder. Junior catcher Olivia Andres then singled through the left side to load the bases for the Sycamores. Sophomore right fielder Pierce then put the Sycamores on the board with an RBI single to left field to score Robinson. Junior Alyssa Marcum then ground into a fielders choice to score Doyle who pinch ran for Wittenauer to cut the Saluki lead to 3-2.

The Salukis picked up right where they left off in the previous inning, however, as they added three more runs in the top of the fourth inning to make it a 6-2 lead over the Sycamores.

The Sycamores offense then roared to life in the bottom half of the fourth inning as they used four straight base hits from Robinson, Baumgart, Wittenauer and Andres to bat around in the inning and score five runs to take their first lead of the game at 7-6.

The game was far from over though as the Salukis came back to tie the game in the top of the sixth before blowing the game wide open in the top of the seventh, scoring five more runs, to make it a 12-7 lead over the Sycamores. The Sycamore offense got runners aboard but couldn't get any runs across as they fell by a final score of 12-7.

Wittenauer finished the game 2-4 with two RBI's and a run scored.

The Sycamores will return to action Wednesday when they travel to face the Redbirds of Illinois State in a double header. First pitch between the Sycamores and Redbirds is scheduled for 4 p.m. in Normal, Ill.