Walk-off home run gives Salukis 3-1 victory
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Izzy Vetter and Sarah Harness battled it out in a pitcher’s duel before Southern Illinois hit a walk-off home run to defeat the University of Evansville softball team by a 3-1 final on Saturday afternoon at Charlotte West Stadium.
Both pitchers allowed just one run through the first six frames, but it was SIU (27-6, 9-3 MVC) who would win in the 7th when Jenny Jansen hit a 2-run home run to clinch the 3-1 win. Vetter struck out five hitters for UE (17-12, 5-5 MVC) while Harness fanned 11 batters.
Eryn Gould picked up two of the Purple Aces’ six hits on the day while Marah Wood, Jessica Fehr, Lindsay Renneisen and Hannah Hood recorded one hit apiece. The Salukis also finished the day with six hits. Gould started out strong, leading the game off with a double, but was stranded on the bases to wrap up the inning.
Southern Illinois broke through with a run in the second when Maddy Vermejan drew a bases loaded walk to score the first run of the game.
Evansville got the run right back in the third when Hood led off with a single before advancing to third on another double by Gould. Katie McLean converted a successful squeeze play to score Hood and tie the game. That is when the pitchers took over, keeping the opposing offenses off the board, but in the seventh, the Salukis came through. Vermejan led off with a walk before Jansen homered on a 1-0 pitch to seal the game.
On Sunday, the squads meet up for a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. CT.
