Big Seventh Inning propels Salukis to series win over Bulldogs

The Southern Illinois University softball team used a nine-run seventh inning to defeat the Drake Bulldogs, 13-5 and win its second-straight Missouri Valley Conference series. On a cold and dreary day in which steady rain fell for the final three innings of play, SIU clinched its first series win at Drake since 2012.

"We showed our toughness today," interim head coach Jen Sewell said. "After (Drake) squeaked out game two yesterday, we had to come out on a cold, wet day on the road in a place that is a long way from home to pull this one out and we did. It was pretty impressive."

After Drake scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 4-all, SIU sent 15 batters to the plate in the top of the seventh to score nine runs and put the game out of reach.

The first six batters in the top of the seventh reached base safely for the Salukis and Southern pushed across three runs without recording an out. SIU totaled four hits and seven walks in the frame. Seven Salukis reached base at least once, which included four that reached twice. Jenny Jansen and Sidney Sikes each had a pair of RBI-singles in the inning while Ashley Wood and Elizabeth Warwick both drew a pair of walks.

"Our big hitters got us started in the seventh," Sewell said. "There were a lot of smart at-bats in terms of drawing walks and a lot of good two-out hitting. We had a good approach and we never backed off from it."

For the third-straight game, Southern scored a pair of runs in the top of the first. Wood worked a one-out walk and Jansen crushed her sixth home run of the season to put SIU ahead 2-0.

SIU doubled its lead in the second inning, as Wood socked a one-out double and Rylie Hamilton followed with her third home run of the season.

Sarah Harness cruised through five innings. She faced just three above the minimum through five and allowed just two hits, both of which were singles. She ran into trouble in the sixth as the rain continued to fall. A solo home run, a walk and a pair of doubles for the Bulldogs tied the game at 4-all. After Southern plated its nine runs in the seventh, Harness returned to lock down her 10th win of the season.

"It was an epic pitching day for Sarah Harness, though she probably doesn't see it that way," Sewell said. "She held them at bay for a long time and threw some big pitches at some big moments. She set the tone from the start. She also came out and threw some nice pitches to close out the game because by the seventh it was nearly pouring."

SIU's 2-through-7 hitters were a combined 11-for-19 (.578) with two home runs, 10 walks and 11 RBI. Wood led the way, as reached base safely in each of her five plate appearances. The Orland Park, Ill. native went 2-for-2 with a double and three walks. Warwick tied the school record for walks in a game with four. Jenny Jansen and Sidney Sikes each had three hits and three RBI. Jansen went 3-for-5 with a home run and two singles while Sikes tied her career-high with three hits, all of which were singles. Aubree DePron also reached base safely three times, as she went 2-for-4 with a RBI and a walk. Rylie Hamilton went 1-for-3 with a home run, a walk and 3 RBI.

"It is always a lot of different people contributing at the plate by Sunday," Sewell said. "Which is good, because it means we are making our adjustments because by Sunday, we've seen all of their pitchers and we can start to get ours."

The Salukis are back in action on Wednesday with a midweek non-conference game against St. Louis. First pitch Wednesday is set for 4 p.m.

Notes

Warwick's four walks tied the school-record with four walks … Its the most walks in a game by a Salukis since 2019 when Kyleigh Decker walked four times against Mississippi Valley State on Feb. 10, 2019 and marks the fifth time that a Saluki has drawn four walks in a game.

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