March 20, 2010

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Erika Taylor became the eighth player in school history to record multiple no-hitters Saturday as Southern Illinois University Edwardsville routed Indiana 11-0 in five innings.

The Cougars, 15-14, split their two games at the IU Classic. After defeating the Hoosiers, SIUE dropped a 9-3 decision to Central Michigan.

Taylor's no-hitter was the 26th in the SIUE's history. The junior right-hander also recorded a no-hitter earlier this season against Murray State.

"She really threw a nice game," said SIUE Coach Sandy Montgomery. "She kept them guessing all game."

Taylor shut down Indiana's offense, which came into Saturday's action with a .262 batting average. That's the fifth-best in the Big Ten. Taylor struck out three and walked three batters. No Indiana player advanced past second base.

SIUE, 15-14, also didn't hold back the bats against their Big Ten foes, which fell to 6-16 overall. Shortstop Kasey Schlafke provided the biggest bat for the Cougars with two home runs for four runs batted in.

"The first one was laser that just got over the fence. The second one - she got all of it," said Montgomery. "But the bottom line is that we hit well up and down the lineup."

The Cougars started the scoring in the third inning. Taylor Tooley opened the inning by drawing the first of her three walks for the game. Kay Hagelberg and Chaleen Rumpf each reached on a fielder's choice when Indiana's fielding didn't get an out on either play.

Megan Murphy grabbed the game's first RBI with a single, plating Tooley. After a strikeout, Laurie Siebert drove in Hagelberg and Rumpf with a single. Murphy advanced to third on a flyout by Whitney Davis. After Siebert stole second, Lauren Zembruski drove in two runs with a single of her own.

Zembruski would come across home plate on Schlafke's first home run of the game.

SIUE scored twice more in the fourth inning on an RBI hit by Lindsey Barron, who later scored on an Indiana infield error.

Schlafke, who would tie Zembruski for the team lead in RBIs with 15, blasted another home run in the fifth. Zembruski was on base again for the fifth-inning homer.

The Cougars didn't pick up the offense in the same way against Central Michigan. The Chippewas kept SIUE scoreless until the bottom of the seventh when the Cougars rallied for three runs.

Samantha Stanicek opened the seventh with a pinch-hit walk. Tooley took an 0-1 pitch off CMU starter Kari Seddon over the left field fence. Paige Sheeder followed by drawing another pinch-hit walk. Rumpf would drive Sheeder home with a double to right-center field, only to be called out at third trying to stretch it out to a triple.

"We came around in that last inning," said Montgomery. "After we figured her (Seddon) out, we started to swing well."

Ali Downing took the loss for SIUE with two innings pitched. She gave up four runs on five hits. Lindsey Coleman tossed the final five innings for the Cougars, allowing five runs on nine hits while striking out three batters.

CMU, 8-7, was led by leadoff hitter Christina Novak, who was 3 for 4 with four RBIs. The Chippewas knocked out 14 hits against the Cougars.

"That's one of the better hitting teams we've faced all season," noted Montgomery.

SIUE now returns home for a single game Tuesday at Cougar Field. The Cougars entertains Northwestern in a 4 p.m. contest.

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