March 5, 2002

Box Score

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Despite being within one run late in each game, the Southeast Missouri State Otahkians could not overcome the hump and dropped a doubleheader to Southern Illinois on Thursday.

In game one, SIU (8-4) threatened to blow the game wide open after two walks and a single loaded the bases with nobody out for the heart of the Saluki lineup. But Southeast (0-4) freshman pitcher Rachel Van Fleet was able to strike out the side to retire the Salukis threat.

Van Fleet would last until the fifth inning when SIU was able to put a runner on second base with one out in the scoreless affair. Senior Kristen King came into the game in relief of Van Fleet to record the last two outs of the fifth and keep the game in a scoreless tie.

Van Fleet went four and a third innings, allowing four hits while striking out five Saluki batters. The game would remain scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning when King walked SIU's leadoff hitter LF Kendra Moore. Moore would be sacrificed to second base and King would give way on the mound to freshman Kelly Birk.

Birk hit the next batter then walked C Katie Jordan to load the bases with one out. RF Elissa Hopkins then smashed a single back up the middle to bring home Moore and send SIU to the 1-0 victory.

Although King (0-1) did not allow a hit, she was charged with the loss, her first of the season. Freshman Amy Harre (3-2), who came into the game in relief in the fifth inning, got the victory. She did not allow a base runner in three innings while striking out six.

Southeast recorded four hits in the first game, while SIU had five. The Otahkian pitching staff walked six batters while SIU failed to yield a walk.

SIU wasted little time scoring in the second game, getting two runs in the bottom of the first inning and exceeding their run total from the entire first game. CF Maria Damico singled to lead off the inning and Kelly Birk walked loaded the bases for the Salukis. 3B Haley Viefhaus then singled in the game's first run before her sister Adie grounded out to force in another SIU run.

Southeast would score its first run of the day in the third inning when 2B Alicia Loucks blasted a 2-2 pitch over the leftfield fence to pull the Otahkians within a run at 2-1. Unfortunately for Southeast that would be their only hit of the ballgame.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth. Birk walked the first two batters of the inning and was replaced by King. Hopkins, a pain in the Otahkians side all day, then doubled home Damico and Saafir to put SIU up 4-1. A fifth run came in when King threw wild to first base allowing Hopkins to score and increasing the lead to 5-1. SIU would then add two more unearned runs to close out the fifth inning with a 7-1 lead.

Southeast failed to score in the top of the sixth and the game was then called an inning early due to darkness.

Birk (0-2) took the loss for Southeast. She pitched four innings, allowing only two hits, but walked six batters and gave up four runs, all earned. Renee Mueller (2-2) picked up the victory after going four innings and allowing only the Loucks homerun. Harre, in relief again in game two, picked up the save, her fifth of the season.

Combined the Southeast pitchers walked seven batters, to SIU's three.

"We dug ourselves in a hole with the walks," Southeast Head Coach Lana Richmond said. "We were in it in game one, which was a great pitchers duel. We just couldn't push any runs across. Our pitching is just very inconsistent now, which you may expect from freshman pitchers. But I know the talent is there so once we become more consistent we will be just fine."

The Otahkians will host a doubleheader with Loyola of Chicago on Thursday at the Southeast Complex. Gametime is set for 3:00 p.m. It will be "Meet the Team Day" as free posters and schedule cards will be given out to all in attendance with a chance to have the team sign them after the second game.