SIU vs. Gardner-Webb Box Score
SIU vs. Austin Peay Box Score

February 14, 2009

By Kyle Herm
www.SIUSalukis.com

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The 24th-ranked Saluki softball team swept day one of the Samford Bulldog Bash Saturday with a 10-0 win over Gardner-Webb and 8-0 shutout of Austin Peay. Sophomore Nikki Waters threw a five-inning perfect game, followed by a five-inning no-hitter by senior Katie McNamara.

The back-to-back no-hit performance by Waters and McNamara is the first in the program's history and both pitcher's first of their careers.

"I've thrown competitively for over 25 years and can't count how many no-hitters I've had," said head coach Kerri Blaylock. "To have two in one day was really something. They hit their spots, mixed things up and I was very pleased with how they did."

Ashley Hamby (2004-07) recorded the Salukis' last no-hitter on April 15, 2007 against Missouri State.

Not to be outdone, the Southern Illinois offense outscored its opponents 18-0 and slugged three home runs in the two games.

"The hitters did a very good job of staying steady," said Blaylock. "We've talked about finishing teams off with key at-bats and I was very pleased with how they played."

Sophomore outfielder Chelsea Held spearheaded the attack, hitting a combined 5-for-6 with a home run, two doubles and four RBI in the two games. She also fell a triple short of hitting for the cycle against Austin Peay.

With SIU's opening win, Blaylock also reached milestone win No. 350 in her head coaching career.

Southern Illinois 10 Gardner-Webb 0 (5 innings)
The Salukis opened with a run-ruled 10-0 win over Gardner-Webb, backed by Waters' perfect game.

SIU jumped out to a quick lead on the Runnin' Bulldogs in the bottom of the first and never looked back.

Held delivered a RBI single to score freshman Mallory Duran, and junior Katie Wilson scored on a stolen base throwing error to put SIU up 2-0.

Southern Illinois added five more runs in the ensuing bottom of the second.

Junior second baseman Alicia Garza hit a bases-loaded RBI single, Duran recorded a RBI groundout and senior Katie Wagner clobbered a three-run home run, her first of the season, to increase the Salukis' lead to 7-0.

Senior Katie Schmidt added to the lead in the third with a two-run home run to center field and Duran scored her second run of the game in the fourth on a wild pitch to cap-off Southern Illinois' fifth win of the season.

Southern Illinois 8 Austin Peay 0 (5 innings)
Senior Katie McNamara fanned six batters and did not allow a hit en route to her second win of the season in the 8-0 run rule nightcap victory.

McNamara struck out the side in the third, and came one batter away from a perfect game.

In the bottom of the fourth with SIU on top 8-0 Brittany Williams reached on an error to end the perfect game.

Williams was the first and only baserunner of the day against the Salukis.

Junior Allie Hanson kick-started the offense in the top of the second with a RBI groundout to score Wilson from third and put SIU up 1-0.

That was just an appetizer for the Salukis' monster six-run, four-hit inning top of the third in which they batted through the order.

Wagner drove in freshman Haley Gorman on a sacrifice fly, Duran scored from third on a wild pitch, Held smashed a two-out two-run home run and freshman Alicia Junker drove in pinch runner Jenene Ebstein with a RBI single to right center to take a 7-0 lead.

Held added one more run with a two-out RBI single to score Wilson in the top of the fourth to make the final 8-0.

SIU has now started the season 6-0 for the second straight year and will face Gardner-Webb and Austin Peay at 10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. on Sunday to conclude the Bulldog Bash.