# 2014 SIU Edwardsville Cougars softball team

The 2014 SIU Edwardsville Cougars softball team represented Southern Illinois University Edwardsville during the 2014 NCAA Division I softball season. The Cougars, led by twenty-sixth year head coach Sandy Montgomery, played their home games at Cougar Field as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).

## Preseason

With twelve returning players from the 35–13 2013 squad, the Cougars were picked by the coaches and sports information directors of the Ohio Valley Conference to finish first in the West Division.

## Regular season

The season began with tournaments in Louisiana, Arizona, Mississippi, and Florida. Among the sixteen opponents in those tournaments were eight teams that would end their seasons in the NCAA Tournament, including defending national champion Oklahoma. Coach Sandy Montgomery's intent was to challenge her team early in preparation for the conference schedule. The Cougars started slowly, but showed improvement in each successive tournament; losing all four games at LSU, then winning one of five at Arizona State, two of five at Jackson State, and three of five at Central Florida.
After the tournaments, the Cougars had the full Ohio Valley Conference schedule, games versus three Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) schools, and home-and-home games with St. Louis; a scheduled game against SIU-Carbondale was cancelled due to thunderstorms. The Cougars lost to Missouri State and Northern Iowa, who both ended the season with winning records, but they defeated eventual MVC champion and NCAA tourney entry Bradley. SIUE and SLU split, each winning in the other's ballpark. In non-conference play, the Cougars earned an 8–16 record.
In the OVC, the Cougars were 10–2 against the East Division. They went 9–3 versus the West after hitting an unexpected bump in the road when losing both games at Murray State. The combined 19–5 conference record was good for first place in the West Division and the #2 seed in the OVC Tournament.

### Highlights

Sophomore Haley Chambers pitched no-hit games against Tennessee Tech and Southeast Missouri State, the second and third of her SIUE career.
Coach Sandy Montgomery won her 900th game as the Cougars' head coach in the win over St. Louis.
Four Cougars were named to the All–Ohio Valley Conference teams:
* Haley Chambers, Chelsea Yankolovich, Allison Smiley, and Whitney Lanphier were named to the All–OVC second team.
* Allison Smiley and Whitney Lanphier were also named to the OVC All–Newcomer team.
Haley Chambers was named second team All-Mideast Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

## Postseason

The Cougars entered the double-elimination Ohio Valley Conference at Jacksonville State's University Field as the #2 seed.
After defeating Tennessee Tech and Eastern Illinois, the Cougars awaited an opponent for the finals. Continued thunderstorms eventually forced the conference to shorten the semifinals and finals to a single-elimination format. Murray State emerged from the loser's bracket, and the SIUE women dispatched them 12–1 in five innings, earning the OVC's entry in the NCAA national tournament.
Haley Chambers not only pitched all three games, striking out 27 in 20 innings, she also drove in the winning run in the Cougars' first game with a home run. She was named the tournament's MVP. Chambers, third baseman Alex McDavid, first baseman Kayla Riggs, and shortstop Chelsea Yankolovich also all selected to the All-Tournament team.
The Cougars were the first SIUE team to qualify for NCAA post-season play since the university made the transition to Division I.
Of the sixteen regional tournaments, only Tuscaloosa, Alabama had three of the top 25 ranked teams, and that was the Cougars' tournament destination, as the only unranked team.
SIUE was game versus host Alabama, 5th ranked and the #2 national seed, but fell to the eventual national runner-up Crimson Tide 13–4 in five innings. In the losers' bracket, the Cougars faced 22nd ranked South Alabama in a game that was close until the Jaguars claimed the victory with a three-run seventh-inning home run.

## Roster

Pink background indicates players returning from 2012–13.
2014 SIUE Cougars roster :
| # | Name | Position | Bats/Throws | Year | Hometown | High school |
| 2 | Haley Chambers | Pitcher | L/L | Sophomore | Coatesville, IN | Cascade HS |
| 3 | Alex McDavid | 3rd Base | R/R | Junior | Suwanee, GA | North Gwinnett HS |
| 4 | Alexis Kohrs | Pitcher | R/R | Freshman | DuQuoin, IL | DuQuoin HS |
| 5 | Rebecca Gray | Outfielder | L/R | Junior | Crete, IL | Marian Catholic HS |
| 6 | Kelsey Hansen | Utility/Infield | R/R | Sophomore | East Peoria, IL | East Peoria Comm. HS |
| 7 | Chelsea Yankolovich | Shortstop | R/R | Senior | Phoenix, AZ | Sunnyslope HS |
| 8 | Kayla Riggs | 1st Base/Outfield | R/R | Senior | Lincoln, IL | Lincoln Comm. HS |
| 11 | Whitney Lanphier | Outfielder | R/R | Freshman | Plainfield, IL | Plainfield South HS |
| 12 | Rachel Keller | Utility | R/R | Sophomore | Bethalto, IL | Civic Memorial HS |
| 13 | Allison Smiley | 2nd Base | R/R | Freshman | Johnston City, IL | Johnston City HS |
| 16 | Rachel Coonrod | Catcher | R/R | Senior | Moro, IL | Edwardsville HS |
| 17 | Marissa Modglin | Utility/Infield | R/R | Freshman | Waterloo, IL | Waterloo HS |
| 21 | Jill Rackers | Outfielder | L/R | Senior | Jefferson City, MO | Helias Catholic HS |
| 22 | Amy Hunt | Catcher | R/R | Freshman | Troy, IL | Triad HS |
| 23 | Brittany Toney | Right Fielder | R/R | Junior | Hendersonville, TN | Goodpasture Christian School |
| 24 | Emily Hastings | Utility | R/R | Freshman | Riverside, IL | Riverside Brookfield HS |
| 25 | Christian Harryman | Utility | R/R | Sophomore | Kirksville, MO | Kirksville HS |
| 26 | Jordan LaFave | Outfielder | L/R | Sophomore | Valrico, FL | Durant HS |
| 33 | Erin Greenwalt | Pitcher | R/R | Senior | Glen Carbon, IL | Edwardsville HS |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Winning Pitcher | Losing Pitcher |
| LSU Tiger Classic |||||||||
| February 7* | 1:50 PM | Oklahoma State | Tiger Park • Baton Rouge, LA | L 1–2 | 1,168 | Simone Freeman | Haley Chambers |
| February 7* | 9:55 PM | #17 LSU | Tiger Park • Baton Rouge, LA | L 2–15 $^5$ | 1,168 | Ashley Czechner | Erin Greenwalt |
| February 8* | 9:00 AM | Minnesota | Tiger Park • Baton Rouge, LA | L 0–5 | 1,628 | Sara Moulton | Haley Chambers |
| February 8* | 1:50 PM | Central Arkansas | Tiger Park • Baton Rouge, LA | L 1–2 | 1,628 | Clara Clampitt | Haley Chambers |
| Arizona State Littlewood Classic |||||||||
| February 14* | 1:30 PM | Michigan State | Farrington Stadium • Tempe, AZ | W 3–2 | 280 | Haley Chambers | Valerie Kaff |
| February 14* | 9:50 PM | #5 Arizona State | Farrington Stadium • Tempe, AZ | L 2–5 | 920 | Mackenzie Popescue | Erin Greenwalt |
| February 15* | 11:15 AM | #11 Oklahoma | Farrington Stadium • Tempe, AZ | L 2–7 | 262 | Leslie Miller | Haley Chambers |
| February 15* | 6:55 PM | #3 Washington | Farrington Stadium • Tempe, AZ | L 0–17 $^5$ | 299 | Bryana Walker | Haley Chambers |
| February 16* | 9:00 AM | Illinois State | Farrington Stadium • Tempe, AZ | L 3–4 $^8$ | 229 | Regan Romshek | Haley Chambers |
| Jackson State Tournament |||||||||
| February 21* | 11:00 AM | Kansas | JSU Softball Complex • Jackson, MS | L 3–4 $^{10}$ | 69 | Kelsey Kessler | Haley Chambers |
| February 21* | 6:45 PM | Southeastern Louisiana | JSU Softball Complex • Jackson, MS | W 7–0 | 75 | Erin Greenwalt | Rachael Hellyer |
| February 22* | 12:00 Noon | Southeastern Louisiana | JSU Softball Complex • Jackson, MS | W 5–3 | 76 | Haley Chambers | Hailey Weavers |
| February 22* | 2:30 PM | Jackson State | JSU Softball Complex • Jackson, MS | L 3–4 | 76 | Kelsey Townsend | Erin Greenwalt |
| February 23* | 9:55 AM | Kansas | JSU Softball Complex • Jackson, MS | L 0–5 | 100 | Kelsey Kessler | Erin Greenwalt |
| UCF Tournament |||||||||
| February 28* | 10:00 AM | UCF | UCF Softball Complex • Orlando, FL | W 3–2 $^8$ | 176 | Erin Greenwalt | Mackenzie Audas |
| February 28* | 2:50 PM | College of Charleston | UCF Softball Complex • Orlando, FL | L 1–4 | 105 | Valerie Cassell | Haley Chambers |
| March 1* | 6:00 PM | Stetson | UCF Softball Complex • Orlando, FL | W 6–5 | 87 | Erin Greenwalt | Taylor Cochran |
| March 1* | 9:25 PM | UCF | UCF Softball Complex • Orlando, FL | L 1–5 | 313 | Shelby Turnier | Haley Chambers |
| March 2* | 12:10 PM | Princeton | UCF Softball Complex • Orlando, FL | W 3–1 | 99 | Haley Chambers | Meredith Brown |
| March 13* | 4:00 PM | Missouri State | Killian Stadium • Springfield, MO | L 3–4 | 189 | Chelsea Jones | Haley Chambers |
| March 15 | 1:05 PM | Austin Peay | Cougar Field • Edwardsville, Illinois | W 10–2 $^6$ | 115 | Erin Greenwalt | Lauren deCastro |
| March 15 | 3:30 PM | Austin Peay | Cougar Field • Edwardsville, Illinois | W 8–0 $^6$ | 115 | Haley Chambers | Brianna Bartuccio |
| March 18* | 3:00 PM | Northern Iowa | Cougar Stadium • Edwardsville, Illinois | L 1–6 | 127 | Jamie Fisher | Erin Greenwalt |
| March 22 | 12 Noon | Tennessee Tech | Tech Softball Field • Cookeville, Tennessee | W 8–2 | 175 | Erin Greenwalt | Taylor Ketcham |
| March 22 | 2:30 PM | Tennessee Tech | Tech Softball Field • Cookeville, Tennessee | W 1–0 | 175 | Haley Chambers | Hannah Weaver |
| March 23 | 1:30 PM | Jacksonville State | University Field • Jacksonville, Alabama | L 4–10 | 713 | Tiffany Harbin | Erin Greenwalt |
| March 23 | 4:10 PM | Jacksonville State | University Field • Jacksonville, Alabama | W 5–1 | 713 | Haley Chambers | Logan Green |
| March 30 | 12 Noon | Tennessee–Martin | Bettye Giles Field • Martin, Tennessee | W 7–2 | 102 | Haley Chambers | Elizabeth Wiegand |
| March 30 | 2:15 PM | Tennessee–Martin | Bettye Giles Field • Martin, Tennessee | L 2–9 | 102 | Casey Vincent | Erin Greenwalt |
| April 5 | 1:00 PM | Morehead State | Cougar Field • Edwardsville, Illinois | W 13–3 $^5$ | 82 | Haley Chambers | Tanna Seuferer |
| April 5 | 3:25 PM | Morehead State | Cougar Field • Edwardsville, Illinois | W 5–4 | 82 | Erin Greenwalt | Megan Tymorek |
| April 6 | 1:00 PM | Eastern Kentucky | Cougar Field • Edwardsville, Illinois | W 2–0 | 106 | Haley Chambers | Leanna Pittsenbarger |
| April 6 | 3:05 PM | Eastern Kentucky | Cougar Field • Edwardsville, Illinois | L 5–8 | 106 | Alex Sallberg | Haley Chambers |
| April 9* | 3:55 PM | St. Louis | Billiken Sports Center • St. Louis, Missouri | W 4–1 | 50 | Erin Greenwalt | Brianna Lore |
| April 10* | 4:00 PM | Bradley | Cougar Field • Edwardsville, Illinois | W 2–0 | 115 | Haley Chambers | Lexi Cremeens |
| April 12 | 1:00 PM | Southeast Missouri State | Cougar Field • Edwardsville, Illinois | W 10–0 $^5$ | 143 | Haley Chambers | Hannah Durham |
| April 12 | 3:00 PM | Southeast Missouri State | Cougar Field • Edwardsville, Illinois | W 9–2 | 143 | Erin Greenwalt | Keaira Schilling |
| April 13 | 1:00 PM | Southeast Missouri State | Cougar Field • Edwardsville, Illinois | W 3–0 | 136 | Haley Chambers | Aubrey Denno |
| April 15* | 4:00 PM | St. Louis | Cougar Field • Edwardsville, Illinois | L 1–2 $^8$ | 163 | Brianna Lore | Haley Chambers |
| April 18 | 1:10 PM | Tennessee State | Tiger Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee | W 4–2 | 154 | Haley Chambers | Olivia Gamache |
| April 18 | 3:30 PM | Tennessee State | Tiger Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee | W 2–1 | 154 | Alexis Kohrs | Hannah St. Clair |
| April 19 | 12:00 Noon | Belmont | E. S. Rose Park • Nashville, Tennessee | W 3–2 | 107 | Haley Chambers | carolyn Snodgrass |
| April 19 | 2:00 PM | Belmont | E. S. Rose Park • Nashville, Tennessee | W 3–1 | 107 | Erin Greenwalt | Taylor Moon |
| April 26 | 1:00 PM | Murray State | Racer Field • Murray, Kentucky | L 4–5 $^8$ | 212 | Mason Robinson | Haley Chambers |
| April 26 | 4:30 PM | Murray State | Racer Field • Murray, Kentucky | L 2–7 | 212 | CheyAnne Gaskey | Erin Greenwalt |
| May 3 | 1:00 PM | Eastern Illinois | Cougar Field • Edwardsville, Illinois | W 2–0 | 208 | Haley Chambers | Hannah Mennenga |
| May 3 | 3:00 PM | Eastern Illinois | Cougar Field • Edwardsville, Illinois | W 2–0 | 208 | Erin Greenwalt | Stephanie Maday |
| May 4 | 1:00 PM | Eastern Illinois | Cougar Field • Edwardsville, Illinois | W 2–1 | 211 | Erin Greenwalt | Stephanie Maday |
| Ohio Valley Conference Tournament |||||||||
| May 7 | 12:45 PM | Tennessee Tech | University Field • Jacksonville, Alabama | W 1–0 | 1419 | Haley Chambers | Danielle Liberatore |
| May 8 | 12:45 PM | Eastern Illinois | University Field • Jacksonville, Alabama | W 4–2 | 919 | Haley Chambers | Stephanie Maday |
| May 10 | 8:00 PM | Murray State | University Field • Jacksonville, Alabama | W 12–1 $^6$ | 203 | Haley Chambers | CheyAnne Gaskey |
| NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional Tournament |||||||||
| May 16* | 6:45 PM | #5 Alabama | Rhoads Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama | L 4–13 $^5$ | 1987 | Leslie Jury | Haley Chambers |
| May 17* | 4:00 PM | #22 South Alabama | Rhoads Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama | L 1–5 | 2093 | Farish Beard | Haley Chambers |
| *Non-Conference Game. $^#$Rankings from NFCA released prior to game.All times are in Central Time Zone. |||||||||