Recap | Salukis Finish 4-1 at Coach B. Classic with Wins over Purdue, Purdue Fort Wayne on Sunday

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University softball team (5-13, 0-0) wrapped up the Coach B. Classic with a strong showing on Sunday, defeating Purdue, 6-5, and Purdue Fort Wayne, 16-4, to go 4-1 on the weekend.

"I think you're just seeing the comforts of home and how much we enjoy being here," head coach Jen Sewell said. "I can't explain enough how good it's been just to be back out in front of the fans and feel some good energy."

Game One: 6-5 win (8) vs. Purdue

Inside the Box Score

For the second consecutive day, the Salukis walked-off the Boilermakers in eight innings. Purdue out-hit SIU, 9-8, and both teams committed two errors in the game.
McKenzie Newcomb picked up the win (4-5) after pitching 5.2 innings, allowing five hits, two runs (one earned), with no walks and four strikeouts.
Emma Austin had another strong day at the plate for SIU against Purdue. The senior went 3-5 with three RBI and one run scored. Amanda Knutson also had a multi-hit game, going 2-3 with a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored.

How it Happened

Purdue struck early, just as it did on Saturday, scoring two runs in the top of the first to take a quick, 2-0 lead.

Southern Illinois scored its first run of the day in the bottom of the second. Austin singled with two outs, driving in Erin Lee to make it 2-1.

After the Boilermakers scored one run in the third, Knutson went deep for the second time this season in the bottom of the fourth. Through four innings, SIU trailed, 3-2.

The next productive inning for the Salukis came in the bottom of the fifth, where they brought the game level at 3-3. An error by the Boilermakers allowed Austin to cross home plate and score the game-tying run.

Newcomb shut-down Purdue for much of the game, preventing the visitors from scoring in the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. SIU was unable to end the game in the bottom of the seventh, sending the game to extra innings for the second straight day.

In the top of the eighth, the Boilermakers jumped out in front, scoring two runs to take a 5-3 lead. Despite the deficit, the Salukis rallied in the bottom half of the inning. Knutson drove in Lee to make it a one-run game.

After Charley Pursley got on with an infield single, Austin produced the biggest hit of the ballgame, driving in both the game-tying and game-winning runs with a two-out, two-run single to win the game for SIU, 6-5.

Game Two: 16-4 win (5) vs. Purdue Fort Wayne

Inside the Box Score

Southern Illinois scored a season-high 16 runs on 19 hits in its dominant victory over the Mastodons.
Freshman Kaytee Dahlstrom collected her first-career win (1-1), tossing 3.1 innings with seven hits allowed, two runs, no walks, and four strikeouts.
Every Saluki that had an at bat tallied a hit during the game. Seven players had multiple hits, including Lee, Jackie Lis, and Mikaela Coburn, who all had three hits. Lis also went deep and had five RBI and two runs scored.

How it Happened

The Salukis wasted no time in getting the bats going in their second game on Sunday, scoring five runs in the first. After a Maleah Blomenkamp triple, Lis hit her 39th career home run, tying her with Katie Jordan for the most career home runs in program history.

Addi Baker hit the team's second triple of the inning, scoring Anna Carder. A Coburn single brought home Lee to give SIU the early, 5-0 advantage.

Purdue Fort Wayne scored two in the top of the second, but Southern Illinois immediately answered in the bottom half thanks to a Lis single that scored Austin.

Southern's biggest inning of the game came in the fourth, where it scored eight runs to take a 16-3 lead. Knutson, Lee, and Coburn all doubled in the inning, while Avery Hixson singled in another run. Hixson also had her first-career hit in Sunday's game vs. the Mastodons.

Despite allowing one run in the top of the fifth, the Salukis run-ruled Purdue Fort Wayne, 16-4, in five innings.

Up Next
The Salukis, who have won four of their last five games, will host Wisconsin and Northern Illinois next Saturday and Sunday at the Saluki Invitational, their final tournament before conference play begins.

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