Saluki softball sweeps SEMO in Doehring’s return

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Former Southeast Missouri State softball players Jenny Doehring and Renee Mueller made their former team pay Wednesday, helping the Salukis to a doubleheader sweep of the home-standing Otahkians.

Doehring, who played two seasons at SEMO and was named conference player of the year there, hit three doubles and a two-run home run and scored five runs.

The Nashville product said she put no special emphasis on this game, though.

“I have the same approach with every game,” Doehring said, adding that this

was one of her better games offensively. “I look at everything as one game,

and I’m trying to go out there and perform as well as I can. Things felt

pretty good today. I was seeing the ball and felt pretty good out there.”

Mueller, who was an Otahkian in 2000, set the tone by starting the first game

and pitching five scoreless innings to help the Salukis to a 5-1 win and

improve her record to 6-1.

“She did a great job,” Saluki head coach Kerri Blaylock said. “She did what

she had to do. She made her spots and pitched where we needed to throw the

The Salukis (18-4), who didn’t score until the fourth inning in the first

game, planted five runs in the final four innings to help hold off the

“You can probably attribute that to the second time through the lineup,”

Doehring said of her team’s late offensive output. “That first time up, you’re

just trying to see that pitcher. The second time, you’re cranking on her a

little bit better and seeing the ball. The more pitches you get to see, the

better you feel with the pitcher.”

The Salukis carried that momentum into the second game, scoring in each of the

first three innings, then erupting for five runs in the fourth before cruising

to a 9-3 win in the nightcap.

The game wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. SEMO didn’t score until

the bottom of the fourth inning, after SIU already had a big cushion and had

seemingly relaxed a bit.

Kelly Creek’s three-run shot that flew far over the left field wall

demoralized the Otahkians and gave SIU a 9-0 lead. Creek went two-for-three in

the second game after not reaching base in the first game.

Third-baseman Katie Louis went three-for-four in the doubleheader and was

Lindsey Bonnell had a strong game, setting the table for SIU and picking up four

hits in six at-bats. The junior also scored three runs.

Saluki pitchers dominated Otahkian batters, giving up three hits in game one

and seven in game two. All but one of those hits in the nightcap came after

SIU leaped out to the insurmountable lead.

As could be expected, the Salukis are thrilled with their performance in the

“We stayed focused throughout both doubleheaders,” Doehring said. “I don’t

think we relaxed. I think we kept coming back and hitting the ball and not

being relaxed with a lead. We kept wanting to get more, so that’s what I was

Reporter Ethan Erickson can be reached at [email protected]