|
|
|
|
|
HISTORY & TRAD.
  |
|
Otahkian Softball Challenge Salukis in Non-Conference Doubleheader on Wednesday Southeast looking to avenge doubleheader loss in Carbondale back in March.
April 23, 2002
SIU Game Notes and Statistics in PDF Format
Southeast Missouri (12-23) About Southeast: Three days before closing the regular season with a conference game against the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks, the Otahkian softball team steps outside the Ohio Valley Conference to battle river-rival Southern Illinois. It will be the second doubleheader meeting of the season between the two schools, with SIU taking the two game stint in Carbondale back on March 5. In the first meeting, SIU escaped with a dramatic 1-0 victory with a bases loaded single in the bottom of the seventh inning. In game two, the Salukis took an early 2-0 lead before Alicia Loucks got her first hit of the season, a homerun, and brought Southeast to within 2-1. Unfortunately for Southeast that would be its only hit of the day as SIU went on to win 7-1 in the nightcap, called after six innings due to darkness. Last season in Cape Girardeau, SIU exploded for 11 runs the most ever scored by an opponent at the Southeast Softball Complex. With their backs against the wall and chances of an OVC Tournament berth possibly slipping away, Southeast took care of business last week, winning four of six games and jumping to fourth place in the league standings. With only one conference game remaining, the Otahkians would almost lock themselves into the #4 position with a win over UTM on Saturday. Senior catcher Jennifer Cobin has been had a steady bat for Southeast in 20 OVC games. She leads the team in batting in conference games with a .340 average. For the entire season, she also leads the team with a .309 average and brings a four -game hitting streak into Wednesday's contest. Shortstop Dawn Piantino currently has the longest hitting streak for the Otahks, standing at nine games. She has hit safely in 11 of her last 12 games. On the mound, freshman Kelly Birk has finally found her groove. Last week, Birk was 3-1 with a 1.06 E.R.A. and 15 strikeouts. In the last week and a half, Birk has thrown the only two shutouts on the 2002 seaosn for Southeast. All About Opposition: Southern Illinois (26-14) Southern Illinois enters Wednesday's non-conference doubleheader having won seven of their last nine contests and sitting with a 13-6 record in a tough Missouri Valley Conference. The Salukis sit in a second place tie in the MVC with Evansville and two games back of front-runner Illinois State. SIU has been successful this season with freshman stud pitcher Amy Harre. Harre is 15-8 on the season with a 0.66 E.R.A. in 32 appearances. In 158 1/3 innings, she has recorded an amazing 140 strikeouts and has eight saves to her credit on the season. She also has nine shutouts this season. She recorded a save against Southeast earlier this season. At the plate, Kelly Creek and Katie Jordan are tied for the team lead in batting average at .290. As a team, the Salukis are hitting only .224 but they allow their opponents to hit on .183. Earlier in the season, SIU swept a doubleheader from the Otahkians in Carbondale. Game was a scoreless tie entering the bottom of the seventh inning when Elissa Hopkins smashed a bases loaded single back up the middle to push SIU to the victory. SIU took an early 2-0 lead in game two and Southeast cut into it on an Alicia Loucks homerun on her first hit of the season. Unfortuantely for Southeast, that was their only hit of the day and SIU exploded for five additional runs in the fifth to win 7-1. SIU Statistical Leaders Batting: Kelly Creek & Katie Jordan (.290) Hits: Adie Viefhaus (32) Runs: Jordan (24) 2B: Jen Guenther (5) 3B: Elissa Hopkins (2) HR: Jordan (5) RBI: Guenther (21) SB: Tahira Saafir (10) E.R.A.: Amy Harre (0.66) IP: Harre (158.1) Wins: Harre (15) K's: Harre (141) Coaching Comparisons Southeast - Lana Richmond At SEMO (20 yrs.) - 621-351-2 Southeast Notes Senior Day is Approaching: Saturday's doubleheader with UT-Martin will mark the last home game for seven Southeast seniors. Jennifer Cobin, Shelley Conroy, Courtney Eklund, Reagan Hamlin, Kristen King, Emmy Kisaka and Dawn Piantino will all be honored in a ceremony prior to the 1:00 p.m. start of the game. Injury Update: Jamie Birk and Brooke Nett were both banged up in the Morehead State game. Birk had to have stitches in the side of her head following a collosion at home plate. She will be back in the lineup versus SIU. Nett injured her knee in a collosion at first base and is still listed as day-to-day although she is out for Wednesday's game. Pinch runner Michelle Lunsford suffered a mild concussion last weekend against Tennessee Tech and is also day-to-day but will definitely be back for Saturday's game against UT-Martin. Catcher Alicia Loucks was also hurt in the TTU game in a collosion at home plate. She is still out indefinitely but a weekend return has been targeted by the Southeast training staff. Birk on Fire: Over the past week and a half, freshman hurler Kelly Birk has been on a roll. In her last seven appearances, she has a 4-2 record and 1.28 E.R.A. and two complete-game shutouts, the only shutouts by Southeast this season. She has also struck out 16 batters, including matching her career-high of five batters twice. One Runs Games: Southeast could easily be 16-4 in OVC games this year, instead of their current 9-11. The Otahkians have dropped seven one-run conference games this year. In total, Southeast has lost nine total one-run games this season, while winning only two, one-run games. Hitting Streaks: SS Dawn Piantino has the longest current hitting streak on the team, nine games, the longest by an Otahkian this season. Four other Otahks have three-plus game hitting streaks, Kelly Birk (5), Brooke Nett (4), Jennifer Cobin (4), and Reagan Hamlin (3). Too Many Strikeouts: Offensively this season, Southeast has struck out 180 times at-bat. That is an amazing 82 more times than their opponents have struck out this season. Twice is Nice: Versus Tennessee Tech in game one last Saturday, Southeast turned an amazing three double plays, all to end innings and Golden Eagle scoring threats. The most impressive was a fly out to rightfield that Courtney Eklund grabbed an nailed the runner at home plate trying to score. On the season, Southeast has recorded 18 double plays, after turning only 10 all of last year. Avoid the Fifth: Southeast has been outscored 28-10 in the fifth inning this season. The Otahkians only hold a scoring advantage over their opponents in one inning, the first (22-21). 100: Southeast finally scored its 100th run of the season vs. Eastern Illinois last Thursday. Pinch Hitting Success: When needing a lift off the bench, Southeast has had success with pinch hitters. In total, those hitters are a combined 15-49 (.306) off the bench. Christine Knobbe leads the way with four hits as a pinch hitter, including two triples. The total of two triples leads the team this season. Not So Friendly Confines: Southeast currently has a 5-12 record at home, with four games remaining to be played. The Otahkians have never had a losing record at the Southeast Softball Complex in its three prior seasons. They have also never had a losing record when they played their games in the center of campus at their other field. Other Dubious Streaks: Southeast Coach Lana Richmond has never had a losing record in her 19 prior seasons at Southeast. A 25-25 record from 2001 is the worst record she has posted in her career. In the 22 years of softball at Southeast, the Otahkians have only had one losing season, a 21-28 mark in 1982. One Other Unkind Streak: Even with a win over UT-Martin in the conference finale on Saturday, Southeast will finish below .500 for the first time ever in OVC play in 11 seasons. In the Field: As a team, Southeast has a .963 team fielding percentage up from the .951 percentage the team had last season. Two Otahkians, 1B Amy Thompson and P Rachel Van Fleet, all have perfect 1.000 fielding percentages. Southeast currently rank second in the OVC in fielding behind Tennessee Tech.
Homerun Firsts: Five Otahkians have hit their first career homeruns this season. Only three Otahks hit their first career homerun throughout the entire 2001 season. The players: With Two Outs: Junior OF Katie Cerneka is htting .455 (10-22) with two outs this season. The Otahkians are . . .
8-9 When they score first.
2-10 When scoring in the first inning.
12-1 When leading after six innings.
0-17 When trailing after six innings.
10-1 When outhitting their opponents.
6-7 When committing fewer errors than opponent.
6-5 When hitting at least one home run.
5-6 When turning at least one double play.
7-2 When stealing more bases than opponent.
8-8 When they steal at least one base.
6-3 When they strike out less than opponent.
5-10 When they draw at least two base on balls.
4-9 When leaving fewer than five runners on base.
2-9 In one-run games.
2-3 In two-run games.
4-8 In five + run games.
2-6 In shutout games.
0-1 In extra inning games.
12-19 In games starting before 5:00 p.m.
0-4 In games starting after 5:00 p.m.
8-16 When playing in a doubleheader game.
2-0 On Monday.
2-6 On Tuesday.
0-2 On Wednesday.
1-2 On Thursday.
1-5 On Friday.
6-4 On Saturday.
0-4 On Sunday.
OVC Standings OVC Overall W L T Pct. W L T Pct. Eastern Kentucky 13 2 0 .867 27 11 0 .711 Tennessee Tech 13 3 0 .813 30 21 0 .588 Tennessee-Martin 11 7 0 .611 22 28 0 .440 Southeast Missouri 9 11 0 .450 12 23 0 .343 Austin Peay 6 9 1 .406 17 29 1 .372 Morehead State 6 10 1 .382 10 28 1 .269 Eastern Illinois 6 11 0 .353 14 20 0 .412 Tennessee State 3 14 0 .176 9 28 0 .243 Otahkians Amongst OVC Leaders Team Batting 2nd .267 average Team Pitching 6th 3.43 E.R.A. Team Fielding 2nd .963 % |
 |
||||||
