EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE softball moved above the .500 mark for the first time this season with a Saturday sweep over Lindenwood at Cougar Field.
SIUE, 25-24 overall and 11-10 in Ohio Valley Conference play, defeated the Lions 8-0 in six innings and 5-4.
It's been a long road to .500 as the Cougars dropped their first six games of the season and the first eight games of the OVC season. That never deterred the Cougars from playing their best softball at the end of the season. SIUE has now won the final five OVC series to close out the regular season, going 11-2 in OVC contests since its slow start.
SIUE and Lindenwood have one final battle on Senior Day for the Cougars. Sunday's game is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Cougar Field.
Sydney Baalman threw her fifth complete game shutout of the season in game one, scattering six hits. She fanned three and used 94 pitches in the win.
"The best thing about Baalman today is she didn't walk anybody," said SIUE Head Coach
Ben Sorden, "She made everybody earn everything. She did a fantastic job working the count."
SIUE put up five runs in the third inning for Baalman.
Lexi King doubled home
Madisyn Webster and
Paige Rocha. King then stole third and scored on an error.
Micah Arps' single in which she got into a rundown between first and second allowed two more runs to score.
Up 6-0 in the sixth, Arps and
Sherri Mason each reached on infield hits.
Piper Montgomery then found the gap in right center off Lindenwood starter Keighlan Cronin.
"Piper did a fantastic job," said Sorden. "She was looking for the outside pitch and did a nice job staying on it and driving it to right center."
In game two, Rocha was involved in all five of SIUE's runs. She scored in the first, third and fifth innings before providing a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth that put the Cougars ahead by five.
"Paige continues to be a fantastic player," said Sorden. "I'm just so happy she's a Cougar."
Rylie Pindel and
Kelsey Ray combined for the win and the save. Pindel found trouble in the seventh, but Ray retired the next three batters for her OVC-leading fifth save.
"It was a great combo," said Sorden. "Ray came in and closed the door."
