Saluki softball Saluki softball sweeps the Sycamores

Sorry about the alliteration, folks, but the Saluki softball team's propensity to repeatedly mow down opponents overcame me. The Dawgs have won 14 of 15 games in the last three weeks and are setting records in the process.

Last weekend, they swept the Indiana State Sycamores in three away games at Terre Haute for the first time in eight years. They beat them 5-1 last Friday, and squashed them in a double dip last Saturday 5-0 and 10-4.

"We haven't swept ISU since 2011, so this is huge," said SIU coach Kerri Blaylock. "Our pitching and defense set the tone, but we were pretty good offensively as well."

"Pretty good" is an understatement. Last Saturday's 10-4 mash-fest typified the Salukis' dominance as the Dawgs jumped ahead 4-0 in the first. The Sycamores came back with two (one each in the fourth and fifth innings) to creep up to trailing by only two (4-2), but then the Dawgs put up six in the sixth for the coup de gras.

Needless to say, the Dawgs turned their offense on when they wanted to as they outscored ISU 20-5 for the three games. Saluki hitting coach Jen Sewell is earning her pay this season.

In the three-game series, Maddy Vermejan went on an offensive blitzkrieg by hitting .833, knocking in three runs, scoring five runs and drawing five walks. Megan Brown was four for eight at the plate, and Shelby Hodo was two for two. In all, nine Saluki players had two hits each in the three games - and the pitching was equally magnificent. The Dawgs got their usual solid work from Brianna Jones, who earned a win in game three of the series, but it was newcomer Claire Miller (7-3 record this season) who was the pitching standout. Miller twirled the 5-0 shutout on Saturday as she allowed only two hits and struck out six ISU batters.

Miller transferred in to the program from Southwest Baptist. She wanted to show that she could pitch at the highest level, D-1, and she has.

"Claire basically carried Southwest Baptist for the two years she was there," said Blaylock. "So she has shown that she has great pitching stamina."

She'll need that stamina as the Dawgs continue their away march with a three-game set with Loyola of Chicago starting today.

The Ramblers are currently 6-10 in league for sixth place. Hopefully the 11-4, second-place Salukis will not take Loyola for granted.

SIU has a lot of work still to do if they are to catch 14-1 Drake. So they must take every game - especially away games - seriously.