Recap | Southern Illinois Walks Off Missouri State, 8-7, for Seventh Straight Win

Tuesday, March 18

Carbondale, Ill.

5 PM

Southern Illinois University

12-14, 4-0

Missouri State

4-20, 3-1

Missouri State

Southern Illinois

Recap | Southern Illinois Walks Off Missouri State, 8-7, for Seventh Straight Win

03/18/2025 | 10:22:00 | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Dominic Hoscher, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University softball team (12-14, 4-0) walked-off Missouri State, 8-7, in eight innings on Tuesday night at Charlotte West Stadium.

"This is a game that, in the preseason, we didn't win because we got flustered or got frustrated at the plate or on defense," head coach Jen Sewell said. "It's one of those you take it as a win, and tomorrow, the game could be 1-0."

Inside the Box Score

Both teams had success at the plate, as SIU had 16 hits while Missouri State had 14. Southern had three errors compared to the Lady Bears' one.
McKenzie Newcomb (9-5) earned the win after tallying 6.2 innings pitched, and allowing 11 hits, six earned runs, and one walk with eight strikeouts.
Freshman Sage Grann went 2-4 and had the walk-off hit in the eighth inning. Emma Austin, Anna Carder, Erin Lee, Addi Baker, Mikaela Coburn, and Amanda Knutson all also had multiple hits in the win.
Lee hit SIU's lone home run on Tuesday night, a grand slam that came in the second inning.

How it Happened

Freshman Emma Gipson got the start for Southern Illinois, and worked around two runners getting on base in the first inning to send it to the bottom half at 0-0.

The Salukis were productive in the opening inning with two outs, as Emily Williams drove in Austin with a single for the game's first run. A Coburn single up the middle doubled SIU's lead as Sarah Cook came across home plate.

Missouri State got on the board in the top of the second, leading to Newcomb entering the game with one out. The senior, and reigning Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week, retired both of the first two batters she faced to keep Southern in front at 2-1.

SIU's bats exploded in the bottom of the second inning. First, Carder singled to score Grann to make it 3-1. A couple batters later, Lee hit her second grand slam of the year to give the Salukis a 7-1 advantage.

The Lady Bears' big inning came in the fourth. With two outs, Missouri State's McKenzie Vaughan hit a grand slam of her own to cut the deficit to 7-5.

Missouri State tied the game at 7-7 in the fifth, and it would stay that way until the eighth inning.

Newcomb managed to strand two Lady Bears on base in the top of the eighth, leading to the Salukis having a chance to win it in the bottom half.

After a Knutson one-out single, Grann doubled to left center, scoring Knutson from first to win the game, 8-7.

Up Next

The Salukis have won seven consecutive games and will look to make it eight on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in a rematch against Missouri State.

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