Recap | Salukis Secure the Series with a 20-3 Win Over Evansville

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Illinois Central College

Carbondale, Ill. – Southern Illinois (28-8, 12-3 MVC) took the series win with a 20-3 victory over Evansville (11-28, 6-10 MVC) Saturday afternoon. The Aces got on the board first with a three-run home run off the left field foul post in the first inning on a full count with two outs. Southern was able to bounce back however and score 20 unanswered runs thanks to a pair of 9-run innings.

The Salukis' 20 runs mark the first time since March 3, 2019 when SIU defeated Valpo 20-1, also tying a program record for the most runs scored in a Missouri Valley game. The last time Southern scored more than 20 runs was April 16, 1993 when SIU defeated Tulsa 24-2 (4).

Madi Eberle made the start and took an inning to settle in before retiring eight Aces in a row on her way to her seventh victory of the season. The veteran righty went all five innings that were needed for the Salukis and gave up just two hits with four strikeouts. She nearly ended the game with four consecutive strikeouts after striking out the final batter in the fourth and the first two in the fifth before recording a flyout to Katherine Johnson in right field to end the game.

Ten different Salukis recorded a hit as they totaled 13 on the day. Rylie Hamilton, Sidney Jones, and Emma Austin each tallied two a piece to lead the Dawgs as Jones drove in three runs. Jones continues to have a sensational season as she leads the team in average (.356) and RBIs (29).

Elizabeth Warwick went 1-for-2 with two RBIs and arguably the biggest hit of the game. With two outs and two runners in scoring position in the second, Warwick rolled a ground ball to the right side to force the Aces' first basemen to move away from the bag and make a play on the ball. With a head-first slide, Warwick beat the Aces' first basemen to the bag as both players dove and gave enough time for both Saluki base runners to score. Erin Lee was able to score all the way from second on an infield single thanks to some heads-up base running.

SIU would go on to score nine runs on eight hits in the second inning after Hamilton, Jones, and Addi Baker followed Warwick's single with back-to-back-to-back RBI doubles.

Alexis Rudd, Emma Anthony, and Kiana McDowell all recorded their first hits of the season and did so in style. Rudd singled with a hard line drive to center field to score a run, Anthony smoked a two-run double to right center, and McDowell put the cherry on top with a three-run home run for runs 18, 19, and 20 on the day.

McDowell's home run not only marks the freshman's first home run as a Saluki but also her first collegiate hit as she had only two at-bats entering the game. An absolute no-doubter, McDowell blasted the ball well out of the park and over the left field wall as she was welcomed at home plate by the Saluki dugout.

Southern looks to take the series sweep and pick up its fourth win of the week tomorrow at 12 PM.

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