The Saluki softball team closed out the Coach B Classic with a dominant performance against the Murray State Racers (6-12) with an 8-0 victory in six innings.

Junior Brianna Jones toed the rubber for SIU and tossed all six innings with six strikeouts in her complete game shutout. She only allowed five hits and walked no batters.

“Murray State runs their mouth and I’m just glad we put them down,” Jones said. “After I struck Finck out, I felt like I’m just going to roll right through them.”

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Jones said that junior third baseman Brenna Finck hit her just about every time she’s faced them, so striking her out twice in the game was a big confidence boost.

Southern broke the game open in the third inning with hot hitting that produced four runs.

Junior first baseman Kyleigh Decker got the first RBI that scored freshman Jenny Jansen who had previously reached on an error. Freshman left fielder Megan Brown followed suit with an RBI single of her own. Brown finished 3-3 on the day with two RBI.

Right after, senior shortstop Savannah Fisher scored Brown on an RBI single. Then, sophomore second baseman Maddy Vermejan — who went 2-3 on the day — delivered another RBI single that put the Salukis in front 4-0.

“I’m just trying to stay consistent and keep my hitting up,” Vermejan said. “I think we’ve all been working really hard on our offensive side and getting everyone up and down the lineup to do their job and work hard. We’re really breaking through with that.”

SIU continued to add to its lead in the fourth inning when Brown delivered another RBI single, followed by a double from freshman catcher Shelby Hodo.

The Salukis put up two more runs in the sixth inning with a pair of sacrifice hits that gave them the 8-0 lead and forced the early ending via the mercy rule.

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“It was a complete performance, I was very pleased by the way Brianna threw,” head coach Kerri Blaylock said. “All the young kids played a great role and I’m just happy for them.”

The Salukis (9-8) will now turn their attention towards the USF Under Armour Showcase in Tampa, Florida. SIU’s first game is against Delaware State Friday morning and is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

Sports writer Ryan Demer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @RyanDemer_DE 

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