March 14, 2005

BIRMINGAM, Ala. - After an eight-day hiatus, the Samford University softball team will resume play in its 2005 non-conference schedule on Tuesday as the Bulldogs host the streaking Southern Illinois Salukis in a home doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m., at Bulldog Field.

Samford (7-10) was rained out against Auburn in its previously scheduled contest on March 9 and has not played a full game since hosting the 2005 Union State Bank Magic City Classic on March 5-6. The Bulldogs played two innings of scoreless softball versus Auburn before the incessant rainfall canceled the game.

"This is going to be a big test for us, because Southern Illinois is a really good team and they are playing at their best right now," said Samford head coach Beanie Ketcham. "We've had some time off to rest up and that's been good for our team to get rejuvenated both mentally and physically. We should come out and play more intense and more alert and that will help us against a good team like Southern Illinois."

Southern Illinois (13-7) heads into Tuesday's doubleheader as one of the hottest teams in the nation. The Salukis own a seven-game winning streak and have won nine of their previous 10 contests.

Over the weekend, Southern Illinois grabbed the championship title of the 2005 Florida State Invitational by finishing the three-day competition with an unblemished 5-0 record. On Sunday, the Salukis defeated the homestanding 21st-ranked Florida State Seminoles, 4-0, at the Seminole Softball Complex.

"Our pitchers are going to have to continue playing well and we're definitely going to have to score some runs," Ketcham said. "Our pitchers have been doing a good job of keeping the opposition off-balanced this season, but the key for us is to play solid defense and to put some runs on the board."

Samford is limiting its opponents to a minuscule 2.8 runs per game this season and the Bulldogs' pitching staff is holding opposing hitters to a .197 batting average. Freshman Haley Scism leads the team with a 1.18 earned run average, while Susanna Meyer possesses a 1.28 ERA on the season.

Meyer finished the first week of March with a phenomenal 0.48 earned run average in starts against both Birmingham-Southern and UAB at home in the 2005 Union State Bank Magic City Classic.

She pitched a total of 14.2 innings and registered 17 strikeouts, while only allowing four walks. The Bulldogs' sophomore from Davie, Fla., limited her opponents to a .189 batting average and only gave up one earned run on 10 scattered hits. She leads the team with 54 total strikeouts.

Tuesday's matchup between Samford and Southern Illinois will be the first all-time meeting between the two teams.

SIU is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference and the Bulldogs currently own a 4-18 mark against MVC opponents. Samford's four wins against MVC teams came against Creighton, Northeast Illinois and Wichita State. The Bulldogs hold a 1-2 record versus Creighton, a perfect 2-0 mark against Northeast Illinois and are 1-1 versus Wichita State.

The Samford University softball team will conclude its six-game homestand on Tuesday as the Bulldogs host the Southern Illinois Salukis in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m., at Bulldog Field.