Southern Illinois University
17-14, 9-0
Belmont
23-9, 7-2
Recap | Softball Splits Doubleheader on Day One at Belmont
03/28/2025 | 10:56:00 | Softball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Southern Illinois University softball team (17-15, 9-1) took the first game, 10-3, against Belmont before falling, 5-0, in the second half of Friday's doubleheader.
Game One: 10-3 win vs. Belmont
Inside the Box Score
- The Salukis scored 10 runs on 10 hits and one error, while the Bruins had three runs on five hits and no errors. Southern was led by a three-home run sixth inning in the win.
- Kaytee Dahlstrom (4-1) picked up the win after allowing one earned run, two hits, no walks, with four strikeouts across two innings out of the bullpen. Emma Gipson got the start and allowed two runs (one earned), three hits, and one walk in 3.2 innings pitched.
- McKenzie Newcomb also appeared and allowed no hits, no walks, and had two strikeouts across 1.1 scoreless innings.
- Erin Lee, Emily Williams, Addi Baker, and Amanda Knutson all homered in SIU's 10-3 win over Belmont.
How it Happened
The Bruins were the first to strike in game one, scoring two runs (one earned) in the bottom of the first.Â
Southern answered in the very next inning. After loading the bases, Jackie Lis drew a walk to score Baker from third and cut the deficit to one.
Gipson fired back-to-back scoreless innings in both the second and third, opening the door for the Saluki offense to take advantage in the top of the fourth. Knutson and Sage Grann both drew walks and with two outs, Lee hit a three-run home run to left center to put the Salukis ahead, 4-2.
After Gipson retired the first two batters she faced in the bottom half of the fourth, Newcomb came in and sat down each of the four Bruins she went up against in the fourth and fifth innings.
In the top of the fifth, Southern added on two more runs thanks to an Emma Austin sacrifice fly and an RBI off the bat of Lis that scored Knutson.
One inning later, the Salukis hit three home runs with Williams and Baker going deep on back-to-back pitches while Knutson homered to center two batters later. At the end of the inning, SIU led, 9-2.
Belmont scored one in the bottom of the sixth off Dahlstrom to make it 9-3, but a Lee sacrifice fly in the seventh restored Southern's seven-run lead, a lead it would hold for the remainder of the game.
Game Two: 5-0 loss vs. Belmont
Inside the Box Score
- The Salukis were shut-out for the first time since Feb. 24 at Texas State, as they finished Friday's game with no runs on two hits and no errors. Belmont scored five runs on nine hits and no errors.
- Kiana McDowell (2-5) took the loss, while Belmont's Maya Johnson (14-1) allowed two hits, no runs, no walks, and had 13 strikeouts across seven scoreless innings to earn the win against the Salukis.
- Anna Carder and Charley Pursley tallied Southern's lone two hits in the loss.
How it Happened
The Salukis were blanked by one of the Missouri Valley Conference's top pitchers in game two, as Johnson did not allow a baserunner until the fifth inning.
Belmont got on the board early, scoring a run off of a bunt single in the first inning to make it 1-0 Bruins.
A solo home run in the bottom of the second put the hosts up, 2-0.
In the fifth, the Bruins tallied three runs on a bases-clearing double to right center to take a 5-0 lead. Johnson shut-down the Salukis for the remainder of the game, leading to the 5-0 final score.
Up Next
Southern Illinois and Belmont will play for the series on Saturday in game three, which is now scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Follow the Salukis
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.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dahlstrom, Kaytee (4-1)
L: Willis, Mackenzie (1-3)
Batting:
2B: Coburn, Mikaela 1
HR: Lee, Erin 1 ; Williams, Emily 1 ; Baker, Addi 1 ; Knutson, Amanda 1
RBI: Austin, Emma 1 ; Lis, Jackie 2 ; Lee, Erin 4 ; Williams, Emily 1 ; Baker, Addi 1 ; Knutson, Amanda 1
SF: Austin, Emma 1 ; Lee, Erin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Austin, Emma 1 ; Lee, Erin 1 ; Williams, Emily 1 ; Baker, Addi 2 ; Coburn, Mikaela 1 ; Knutson, Amanda 3 ; Grann, Sage 1
SB: Austin, Emma 2
Batting:
2B: Gressly, Grace 1
RBI: Spindler, Rylee 1 ; Cockrill, Emily 1 ; Gressly, Grace 1
SF: Cockrill, Emily 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ensio, Baie 1 ; Barnes, Emma 1 ; Cockrill, Emily 1
SB: Spindler, Rylee 1 ; Hughes, Nicole 1
