EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WSIL ATHLETICS) â€� The ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý Illinois University softball team was crowned 2021 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champions after a 2-0 victory over the second-seeded Northern Iowa Panthers Saturday inside James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium at the University of Evansville.
The 2021 MVC Tournament title is SIU's second in the last five years and first since 2017. It's the third conference tournament title for the Salukis, who were also the 1991 Gateway Conference Tournament Champions. ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý overcame an immense amount of adversity along the way, which included playing during a pandemic, dealing with a season-ending injury to starting shortstop  and multiple illnesses throughout the season.
"I'm probably more proud of this group than any group that I've coached," head coach  said. "We went through a pandemic where we couldn't be around each other, we had to be regularly tested and it was difficult to bond as a team. There were so many things- we went through adversity on the road, we had times where kids didn't feel well and then we didn't play well last weekend at UNI. But we had a good talk before practice last week and I told them, 'I'm not going to say one word about how you play, about winning the tournament, let's just go and go for it.' And they did that. They were so loose and focused today. I'm just so proud of them."
The Salukis (37-14) picked up another superb outing in the circle from . Harness, who pitched ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý to victory in each of its two previous victories in the MVC Tournament, came back Saturday and held the Panthers potent offense in check. She didn't allow a hit through five and a third innings. The sophomore hurler knew from the day's onset that, despite the lack of rest, she wanted the ball with the title on the line.
"I had put a lot of work in to winning the first two games of the tournament and I wanted the ball, honestly," Harness said. "This morning, Kerri said, 'Let me ask you a question. Do you want the ball?' And I said I want the ball. Give it to me. I was ready to go and I was ready to win. It was a mindset. My arm is probably hanging more than I think it is but I was ready."
Blaylock had no qualms in giving the ball to her ace despite her original plan to throw against the Panthers. After all, Eberle had allowed just one run on four hits in a tough luck loss at UNI on May 9.
"I said to Sarah, 'do you want the ball?," Blaylock said. "And she said yes. I had originally thought we would go with  just because she threw a great game against them at their place. I thought UNI seeing Sarah walk out to the circle after the two games she had thrown would be a psychological hit to them. We decided to do that and Madi was warmed up and ready in the bullpen. But Sarah wanted the ball."
Harness improved to 22-6 on the season with her complete game two-hit shutout Saturday. The Bowling Green, Mo. native was named the MVC Tournament MVP after she went 3-0, allowed just one earned run over 21 innings of work and struck out 26.
¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý used a pair of solo home runs Saturday to back Harness. In the fifth inning,  belted a first pitch fastball to deep center for her third home run of the season to put SIU ahead 1-0. Huckleberry, who struck out after she battled through a nine-pitch at-bat to end the top of the second was more than ready for her second at-bat in the fifth.
"I knew the pitch that (Kailyn Packard) struck me out on was a fastball outside so I assumed she would throw that again," Huckleberry said of her fifth-inning home run. "I guessed right and the pitch was right there so I took a hack at it and it went over the fence."
In the top of the sixth inning,  turned on a change-up for her third home run in as many days to double ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý's lead.
"They keep throwing me change-ups and I bet all my money on them throwing me a changeup and thats what they threw me," Jansen said of her home run. "I just guessed right."
All that mattered from that point forward was for Harness and the Salukis to find six outs. After UNI's leadoff hitter Madison Parks reached on an error, Harness got two-time MVC Player of the Year Sammy Bunch to swing and miss for the inning's first out. Bunch was 0-for-3 Saturday, which included grounding into an inning ending double play to end the third. After a one-out single that broke up Harness' no-hit bid, she got a strikeout and a ground out to get out of the frame.Â
The seventh inning went similarly. The Panthers threatened with a one-out single but Harness used back-to-back ground outs to get out of the jam and seal the victory.Â
The Salukis will find out who they will play next on Sunday, May 16 during the 2021 NCAA Softball Championship Selection Special airing live on ESPN2 beginning at 8 p.m CT.
