Terre Haute, Ind. – Southern Illinois completed the series sweep over Indiana State with a 9-0 (5) win in the Salukis’ third consecutive run-rule victory. The shutout win marked the second shutout of the weekend as the Dawgs allowed just one run over the weekend, outscoring the Sycamores 29-1.
Elizabeth Warwick made program history in a big fourth inning for the Salukis with her 50th career double. Warwick now owns the program record for career doubles and becomes the first player in Saluki softball history to reach 50 doubles.
A season ago, she set the record for single-season doubles (19) as she nears that number again with 18 on the year.
Southern tallied one run and one hit in the first three innings as they took advantage of several walks. Katherine Johnson drove in the first run of the afternoon with an RBI single, followed by an RBI fielder’s choice from Warwick in her second at-bat, which came in just the second inning.
Rylie Hamilton sent out the first home run of the day on a solo shot to start the third inning. Both Hamilton and Warwick made outstanding plays with their gloves as well as each tallying an extra-base hit to help the Salukis handle business in game three. Hamilton snagged a line drive out of the air as she dove to her glove side before Warwick made a diving catch on a shallow fly ball in left-center on the very next play.
For the second straight day, the Dawgs totaled three home runs in the fourth inning as they blew the doors open, scoring six runs on four hits and making it a 9-0 game. In all three games this weekend, SIU scored six runs in the fourth inning.
The inning began with a walk drawn by Rylinn Groff before Erin Lee sent out her first career home run on a towering shot to left field. Lee tallied a pair of hits with a double in the third inning. Jackie Lis followed it up with her 16th home run of the year, as the Salukis went back-to-back for the second time this series. Lis had taken six-straight walks going back to yesterday’s game before her home run in the fourth inning of Sunday’s game. She totaled eight free bases on the weekend, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and a double as she totaled a .917 on-base percentage, getting herself out just once in the three games.
Adding some insurance, Katherine Johnson sent out her third home run in the last three games to drive in three more runs. Johnson hit a home run in all three games this weekend with eight total RBIs. She finished the series with a .571 batting average, going 4-for-7, with three home runs and an RBI single.
Maddia Groff made the start and earned the win as she went four innings, allowing just two singles on the day as she struck out five with no walks. Groff is now 26-3 on the season as she is just two wins shy of tying the single-season record for wins in program history. Eberle came in for the fifth inning again and shut down the Sycamores to seal the deal.
The Salukis need two more wins in order to clinch the Missouri Valley regular season title and lock up the top seed at the tournament in just under two weeks. Southern Illinois will head to Murray State this Friday, May 3 with first pitch set for 5 PM. Game two will follow on Saturday at 2 PM, with the series finale scheduled for 12 PM on Sunday, May 5.
