April 16, 2011

RICHMOND, Ky. - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville softball expanded its winning streak to six games Saturday with a doubleheader sweep at Eastern Kentucky.

The Cougars reached the overall .500 mark for the first time since the second week of the season and now stand 21-21 after an 8-4 victory in the opener and a 7-5 win in the nightcap. SIUE ran its Ohio Valley Conference record to 13-7 and currently holds fourth place. SIUE's six-game winning streak is its longest of the season.

EKU, now 21-20 and 8-14 in the OVC, faces the Cougars one more time in the three-game series. Sunday's game is set for 1 p.m. ET.

The two teams battled through wet, windy and chilly conditions at Gertrude Hood Field. SIUE Head Coach Sandy Montgomery said she was happy with the victories although the conditions were different than the warm weather the team had enjoyed the past few weeks.

"It was tough playing, no question," she said. "We just need to play better defense and make better decisions."

The team that hit better was going to win Saturday's games, Montgomery noted. "We swung the bats. That's what won the games for us today."

Rachel Coonrod got it all started for the Cougars in the opener. The Cougar freshman hit her second home run of the season, a solo shot to left in the first inning. Coonrod would finish game one with a 3-for-3 performance, including two runs batted in.

Taylor Tooley tied Kasey Schlafke for the team lead in home runs with five just two innings later. She launched an 0-1 pitch to left field and drove home Coonrod and Paige Sheeder.

EKU cut the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the third by taking advantage of an infield error by Tooley with an RBI single by Chyenne Hussey and RBI on a fielder's choice by Christina Ciolek.

SIUE's lead improved to six runs after four innings as the Cougars rallied for four unearned runs. Brianna Fulginiti scored early in the inning on an infield error. Three more runs would score on RBI hits by Chelsea Yankolovich, Lindsey Barron and Coonrod.

SIUE pitcher Erika Taylor ran her record to 14-11 with the victory in game one. The senior right-hander struck out 10 and has now collected double-digit strikeouts five times. She allowed five hits.

Noe Esparas was charged with the loss and is now 7-7.

In game two, SIUE outhit Eastern Kentucky for a second time with a 12-10 edge. Yankolovich, Barron, Tooley and Fulginiti each had two hits for the Cougars.

"Luckily we had big innings in both games," said Montgomery.

This time, the big inning happened twice with four runs in the third and three runs in the fourth. Paige Sheeder's two-run homer in the third inning to left field was her fifth of the season and third this week. That added her to the tie for home runs with Tooley and Schlafke.

Tooley and Schlafke would provide RBI hits in the fourth that put the Cougars ahead for good.

Ali Downing picked up her second win of the season in the nightcap. She came into the game in the fourth after starter Lindsey Coleman allowed five runs, including three unearned runs, over the first three-plus innings.

Downing yielded just two hits over the final four innings to the Colonels, which entered the weekend hitting an even .300. "Player for player," said Montgomery, "they swing the bat."

Kristin Perry went the distance for EKU and took the loss. Her record evened out at 8-8.

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