Recap | Jackie Lis Breaks Career Home Run Record as Softball Defeats Northern Illinois, Wisconsin

CARBONDALE, Ill. - It was a historic day at Charlotte West Stadium on Sunday as shortstop Jackie Lis broke the Southern Illinois University softball career home run record with her 40th home run as a Saluki in SIU's second game of the day against Northern Illinois.

The Salukis (8-14, 0-0) started the day with a 7-3 victory over Wisconsin and followed that up with a 4-1 win against Northern Illinois, finishing with a record of 3-1 in the Saluki Invitational.

Lis' record-breaking home run came in her first at bat against the Huskies. With a 3-1 count in the bottom of the first, the shortstop launched the ball over the left field wall for her 40th career home run at Southern. This broke a tie with Katie Jordan, who hit 39 home runs from 2002-05.

Game One: 7-3 win vs. Wisconsin

Inside the Box Score

In Southern's 7-3 win over the Badgers, both teams had seven hits while Wisconsin had five errors.
McKenzie Newcomb (5-5) got back to .500 on the year with the win, tossing 5.2 innings pitched with four hits, one earned run, no walks, and two strikeouts. Freshman Emma Gipson opened up the game in the circle, allowing two runs (both unearned) over 1.1 innings pitched.
Addi Baker hit her third home run of the season and had three RBI with one walk and one run scored. Mikaela Coburn's two hits paced the team, while Lis went 1-3 with two runs scored, one RBI, and one walk.

How it Happened
Southern trailed early, as the Badgers scored twice in the top of the first to take a quick 2-0 lead.

Emma Austin, who went a perfect 7-7 at the plate on Saturday, kept it going on Sunday, doubling to left center to drive in Amanda Knutson and make it a one-run game.

A Coburn single would tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third. One inning later, the Salukis piled on four runs to go ahead, 6-2. Baker's three-run home run came with two outs and scored Lis and Sarah Cook.

The two teams would trade runs through the next couple of innings, but Newcomb held the Badgers in check to secure the 7-3 win for the Salukis.

Game Two: 4-1 win vs. Northern Illinois

Inside the Box Score

The Salukis out-hit the Huskies, 11-9, in the win. Neither team committed an error.
Kiana McDowell and Kaytee Dahlstrom combined for a strong seven innings of work in the circle in SIU's 4-1 win over Northern Illinois. Dahlstrom (3-1) picked up the win after posting a line of 4.0 innings pitched, three hits, no runs, no walks, and three strikeouts. McDowell went 3.0 innings with six hits, one earned run, no walks, and two strikeouts.
Four different Salukis tallied two hits. Austin went 2-4 with one run scored, Lis went 2-2 with a home run, two RBI, and one run scored, and both Coburn and Sage Grann had two hits as well.

How it Happened
Both offenses traded blows in the first inning. After NIU opened the scoring in the top half, Lis hit the record-breaking home run in the bottom half of the inning to make it 1-1.

An Anna Carder double and Lis sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third put the Salukis ahead, and they never looked back.

With sharp pitching by both McDowell and Dahlstrom, the Huskies didn't score again after the first inning. Dahlstrom retired the first eight batters she faced after coming in to start the fourth inning.

The Salukis added on one more run in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a Grann sacrifice fly that scored Coburn to make it 4-1.

In the top of the seventh, Danielle Stewart of NIU flew out to Austin at the warning track for the third and final out of SIU's 4-1 victory.

Up Next
Southern Illinois will open up conference play at home next weekend against Illinois State. The first game against the Redbirds will be on Friday at 5 p.m.

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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.

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