Kristina Dailing
Daily Egyptian
Someone forgot to tell the Salukis a young team isn't supposed to be this good.
The disappointing two-and-out showing in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament for the SIU softball team was a sad end to what players and head coach Kerri Blaylock considered an overall great season, despite their incredible youth.
The Salukis' first tournament game against the University of Evansville ended with a score of 10-3. Freshman pitcher Amy Harre had her eight game winning streak snapped after she was touched for 12 hits, seven earned runs and struck out just four.
The Salukis played their second game of the tournament against top seeded Illinois State. Pitcher Renee Mueller threw one of her best games of the season, holding the Redbirds hitless through four complete innings until the bottom of the fifth, when Shae Wesley hit a single.
In the tenth inning, Katie Sifflet of the Redbirds hit a pinch-hit game-winning sacrifice fly, ending the game with a final score of 1-0.
The back-to-back losses ended the Salukis' season to the disappointment of the team.
Senior catcher Kerri Fortman left the conference with a smile, but knew that the team could have done better.
"We obviously didn't do as well as we had hoped," Fortman said. "We felt very comfortable going in and we went in with high expectations. It was hard to lose."
This was the first time since 1999 that the softball team has gone two-and-out in the MVC Tournament.
"I think maybe the youth of our team showed at that moment because it was the first pressure situation for a lot of those kids," Blaylock said.
The Salukis, one of the youngest teams in the conference, ended the season with a 31-16 record, finishing a half game out of second place in the MVC.
"We proved to ourselves and our coaches that we couldn't use being young as an excuse," Fortman said.
The Salukis began their season at the Mississippi State Bulldog Classic Tournament, beating the nationally ranked Bulldogs to win the tournament. Harre was voted MVP of the tournament, and fellow freshmen Kelly Creek and Katie Jordan also earned all-tournament honors.
Harre ended her freshmen season with an 18-9 mark, with a minuscule 0.89 ERA. The team was led offensively by Katie Jordan with a batting average of .279, five home runs and 18 RBI, Adie Viefhaus with a .276 batting average and 16 RBI and Kelly Creek with a .267 batting average and 17 RBI.
"I was pleasantly surprised by the team's performance the whole year," Blaylock said.
Tara Glasco, a sophomore outfielder, admits that while the freshmen stepped up and helped the team, the veterans played a major role in the success of the team.
"The seniors we had this year were great leaders," Glasco said. "They did a lot for the school and the program."
The next season is expected to be even more successful, with several quality returning players as well as the awaited addition of Jenny Doehring, who had to sit out this past season after transferring from Southeast Missouri State.
The young team now also has a year of experience that Blaylock feels can only benefit the players.
"Now that they have a year under their belt, I feel really good about the season coming up," Blaylock said.
Reporter Kristina Dailing can be reached at kdailing@dailyegyptian.com
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
