Drake University showed the SIUC women’s basketball team exactly why they are tops in the Missouri Valley Conference Saturday.

Drake overcame an early deficit and slowly pulled away for a 73-47 win in Des Moines, Iowa. Drake clinched the conference championship in improving to 20-4 overall and 15-1 in conference play, while SIUC dropped to 9-16, 6-10.

The Salukis were down just 37-25 at halftime after taking an early 7-0 lead, but SIUC shot just 24 percent from the field in the second half. The Salukis drew within 45-35 with 11:27 remaining, but Drake used a 19-5 run to take a 64-40 lead with four minutes left.

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Drake put four players in double figures in scoring, led by 15 each from Kiersten Miller and Keisha Cox. Theia Hudson led the Salukis with 13, while Meredith Jackson added 12.

The Salukis battle Southwest Missouri State University Thursday at 7:05 p.m. at SIU Arena.

Saluki softball wins four out of five

The SIUC softball team opened the 1998 season by winning four of its first five games, in the Mardi Gras Classic in Monroe, La., during the weekend.

SIUC earned victories over the University of Tennessee 7-6 in 10 innings and the University of Mississippi 8-4 Friday. The Salukis lone loss was to Tulsa University 6-3.

Freshman pitcher Erin Stremsterfer gave up 13 hits and six runs but went the entire 10 innings in the win against the Lady Vols, while junior first baseman Theresa Shields went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs to lead SIUC over the Rebels.

Tulsa’s four-run seventh inning broke a 2-2 tie to lead the Golden Hurricane to victory. Stremsterfer was the losing pitcher, giving up 10 hits in the game.

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The Salukis rebounded Saturday taking victories over Centenary College 5-1 and Northeast Louisiana University 8-6. Sophomore pitcher Carisa Winters struck out eight batters and allowed five hits to pick up her first win of the season against Centenary. Shields provided the bulk of the offense, as she drove in two more runs.

Shields got a little help from freshman center fielder Marta Viefhaus in the win over NLU. Viefhaus went 2-for-5 and had three RBIs.

Saluki baseball suffers fourth, fifth losses

The SIUC baseball continued its disappointing start to the 1998 season with losses to Oklahoma State University Friday and Saturday.

The Salukis fell 16-5 to the Cowboys Friday to drop to 0-4 on the year. SIUC continued its skid with a tough 10-6 loss to OSU Saturday afternoon.

Oklahoma State scored eight runs in the seventh and eighth innings to blow open a close game for a 16-5 win Friday. SIUC trailed 8-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Cowboys used three runs in the seventh and five in the eighth for the win.

Sophomore infielder Steve Ruggeri led the Salukis in hitting by going 2-for-4 with an RBI, and junior Joe Schley went 2-for-5. Junior pitcher David Piazza took the loss for the Salukis, giving up five earned runs in four innings.

SIUC fell behind 6-0 to OSU Saturday and could not complete a comeback in a 10-6 loss. SIUC scored three runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh and threatened to score more, but Sophomore outfielder Marty Worsley struck out with the bases loaded to end the threat.

Senior catcher Cory Schrank led the Salukis by going 3-for-4 with one run scored, while Senior infeilder Joel Peters went 1-for-4 but smacked his first home run of the season. Junior hurler Adam Biggs took the loss by giving up eight earned runs in five innings.

Saluki track sets school records

The SIUC men’s and women’s track and field team competed in its last meet before the Missouri Valley Conference Championships Friday at the unscored Saluki/USA Open at the Recreation Center.

Junior Michelle Nitzche led the way for the women’s team by breaking her own school record in the pole vault (9′ 03) with a jump of 10 feet 4 inches, which placed her first among college athletes and third overall in the event.

Other top finishers for the women’s team were sophomore Felicia Hill, who set a new school record with a first-place finish in the triple jump (40′ 6.25). Hill also placed first in the high jump (5′ 7.25).

Senior Raina Larsen finished first in the 800-meter run (2:15.22), while senior Kelly French placed first in the 1,000-meter run (2:56.10). Sophomore Droso Lavithi placed first in the 55-meter high hurdles (8.63 seconds), while sophomore Joy Cutrano placed first in the mile (5:10.41).

Competing on the first-place distance medley team was senior Mindy Bruck, junior Colleen Bouck and sophomores Leah Nolden and Jenny Monaco, who finished with a time of 12:23.49

Leading the men’s team was sophomore Michael Sandusky with a first-place toss of 52 feet 4.5 inches in the shot put.

Other top finishers were freshman Brandon Dell’Aringa with a second-place finish in the 55-meter high hurdles (7.88 seconds) and the distance medley team of sophomores Matt McClelland, Jeremiah Simpson, Allen Lakomiak and freshman Chris Owen, who finished in first place (10:22.63).

The men’s and women’s track and field team will compete in the MVC Championships Friday and Saturday in Normal.