NASHVILLE, Tenn. – SIUE softball, winners of eight out of its last nine games, swept a pair of contests at Belmont Sunday.
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SIUE defeated the Bruins 2-1 in eight innings and 13-4 in six innings at E.S. Rose Park. SIUE improved to 21-20 and is above the .500 mark since opening the season with a win against Penn State. The Cougars are 13-7 in the Ohio Valley Conference.
SIUE Head Coach Sandy Montgomery was pleased with the wins over Belmont.
"We're paying attention to the weekend and the task at hand," said Montgomery. "Everything is tight in the conference."
The Cougars didn't get on the scoreboard in game one until the seventh inning. After a two-out double bv Amy Hunt, Kelsey Hansen singled her home.
Savannah Fisher singled home the eventual game winner in the eighth inning. Tess Eby scored on the play after doubling to left center off Belmont reliever Lexi Rouse.
Baylee Douglass picked up the win for the Cougars, improving her season record to 14-8. Douglass fanned eight and did not walk any Belmont batters.
In game two, SIUE's offense took the momentum and scored twice in the first inning. Alyssa Heren and Jordan LaFave each stole a base and would combine to score five runs for the game.
Belmont came back with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, but SIUE seized control of the game back in the fourth inning when Janie Smith, pinch-running for Rachel Keller, tied the game 3-3 by scoring on a sacrifice fly to right field by Allison Smiley.
SIUE erupted for seven runs on seven hits in the fifth inning. The Cougars had four straight hits at one point in the inning. Haley Adrian highlighted the inning with her third home run of the season, a three-run blast to left field off Belmont reliever Ashley Johnson.
"I'm happy we were getting people on base and scoring the runners," said Montgomery. "We're getting timely hits and multiple hits in a row."
LaFave led all SIUE hitters in game two with three hits but acknowledged her teammate's efforts more than her own.
"Right now we're getting contributions up and down the lineup," she said.
The Cougars extended the lead with three more runs in the sixth with RBIs from Eby, Keller and Maria Prete.
SIUE right-hander Ashley Koziol earned her seventh win of the season. She allowed just three Belmont hits.
Next up for the Cougars is a Wednesday travel date at Missouri State. Game time is set for 5 p.m.
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