EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The SIUE softball team kicked off its fall schedule by shutting out a pair of opponents Saturday afternoon at Cougar Field, winning 3-0 against Danville Area CC before defeating Parkland College 9-0.
“Overall, I was pleased with the day,” Head Coach Sandy Montgomery said. “I think we were a little passive early on, but I thought we played very good defense and had a brand new catching staff that did a nice job.”
Sophomore pitcher Haley Chambers, named Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year a season ago, earned the victory against Danville. The Coatesville, Ind., native posted a whopping 15 strikeouts while allowing just three hits through six innings of work.
At the plate, junior infielder Alex McDavid picked up where she left after being named OVC Player of the Year last season, going 3-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
In the second game against Parkland, the Cougars used a five-run fourth inning to cruise to victory, while several new faces stepped up and impressed in their first game at SIUE.
Freshman infielder Allison Smiley went 1-3 with two RBI and a run scored, while fellow freshman Whitney Lanphier went 2-4 with a pair of RBI and a run scored.
First-year catcher Amy Hunt started behind the plate, calling a game in which pitchers Erin Greenwalt and Alexis Kohrs allowed a combined two hits.
“I’m excited for the season because we’ve got a lot of young talent and many of our core kids are coming back,” Montgomery said. “Smiley understands the game and plays at a high level, while Lanphier has tremendous power and is a great hitter. Amy Hunt did a nice job catching in the second game as well.”
SIUE will be back in action at Cougar Field next Saturday, as the Cougars play host to Columbia College and Jefferson College. The games are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.
“We have to keep getting better and can’t be so passive at the plate,” Montgomery added. “We have to be extremely aggressive at the plate and keep moving forward offensively.”
