Recap | Softball Shuts Out Illinois State Again for Conference Win

Saturday, March 15

Carbondale, Ill.

12 PM

Southern Illinois University

10-14, 2-0

Illinois State

6-20, 0-2

Illinois State

Southern Illinois

Recap | Softball Shuts Out Illinois State Again for Conference Win

03/15/2025 | 3:24:00 | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Peter Borkowski

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Despite cloudy skies, Southern Illinois softball (10-14, 2-0) and Illinois State (6-20, 0-2) faced off Saturday afternoon in game two of their three game, conference series. For the second straight day, SIU's pitching and defense kept their Missouri Valley Conference rivals off the board on the way to a 3-0 win.

"Our offense has been very timely," said head coach Jen Sewell. "You worry about offenses getting tight in the first weekend of Valley play. People try to change pitchers on us, but we just keep coming with adjustments."

Inside the Box Score

Erin Lee, Emily Williams, and Addi Baker all had RBIs in the game.
Kiana McDowell and McKenzie Newcomb combined for the shutout. The pair allowed six hits while striking out four.

How It Happened
After McDowell and the SIU defense kept the Redbirds quiet in the top of the first, the Salukis struck first in the bottom half of the inning. With runners in the corners and one out, Lee sent a deep flyball into center field. It was caught for an out but was far out enough to score Emma Austin from third and give Southern an early 1-0 lead.

The Salukis added some insurance in the bottom of the third. As runners stood on first and second, Williams singled to bring Anna Carder home. Baker then grounded out, but was still able to drive Jackie Lis in from third base to create a 3-0 lead for SIU.

Those would be the final pair of runs scored in the game, as Newcomb and her Illinois State counterparts shut down the offenses for the final four frames, securing SIU's shutout win.

Up Next
The Salukis and Redbirds conclude their weekend series tomorrow, Sunday, with a 12 p.m. game.

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Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_Softball, on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiSoftball and on Instagram at @SIU_Softball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.