Recap | Softball Defeats Missouri, 5-3, Behind Williams’ 10th Home Run

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Southern Illinois University softball team (22-15, 13-1) earned a 5-3 win at Missouri on Wednesday, its first win against the Tigers since 2007.

"It was important for us to gauge where we were at," head coach Jen Sewell said. "We had some SEC opponents early and probably weren't ready then for what we were able to do today. So I think it speaks to our growth as a team this year. We managed the game a little bit better, managing our emotions, our at bats, and our pitches. I think we didn't let anything compound today."

Inside the Box Score

The Salukis scored their five runs on six hits with one error on Wednesday. Mizzou had five hits with one error to go along with its three runs.
Kaytee Dahlstrom (5-1) got the win after allowing three hits, two runs (one earned), three walks, with one strikeout in 4.0 innings pitched. McKenzie Newcomb picked up her first save of the season, ending the game with a line of two hits, one earned run, no walks, with five strikeouts in 3.0 innings pitched.
Emily Williams hit her team-leading 10th home run of the year in the win, finishing the game 1-for-3 with three RBI. Jackie Lis went 2-for-4 with a triple, double, one RBI, and one run scored while Emma Austin also went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

How it Happened

Southern Illinois and Missouri were knotted at 0-0 after the opening two innings with strong pitching on both sides. Dahlstrom worked around a lead-off walk in the first and a two-out walk in the second to keep the Tigers off the board.

A pair of doubles by Mizzou in the third led to the hosts taking the first lead of the game. Missouri added one more run (unearned) via an error to take a 2-0 lead into the fourth.

After having its first nine batters of the game retired, Southern Illinois had more success the second time around, starting with an Emma Austin single to begin the fourth inning. Jackie Lis followed this up with a double, leading to the Salukis having two runners on with no one out.

Missouri was able to produce a pair of fly outs to get to two outs in the inning, but Emily Williams, who was down 1-2 in the count, smashed a three-run home run to left center to put the Salukis ahead, 3-2.

This was Williams' 10th home run of the season, which is a team-high and is tied for the second-most in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Dahlstrom concluded her outing with a strong fourth inning, allowing just a two-out single but no runs to finish her evening.

It was once again the top of the Saluki order coming through in the fifth. With two outs, Lis tripled to score Austin and give SIU a 4-2 lead.

The Tigers hit a solo home run in the fifth to cut the deficit to one. After a single by the Tigers, however, Anna Carder threw out the runner attempting to steal second before Newcomb got the final out of the inning.

Neither team scored in the sixth, leading to a 4-3 advantage in favor of the Salukis heading into the seventh.

There, SIU got an insurance run off of a Missouri error after Austin put the ball in play, scoring Mikaela Coburn from third.

Newcomb was lights-out in the seventh, striking out the first batter she faced looking before recording the final two outs to secure Southern's first win over an SEC program since the 2022 season.

"I think this just reminds us that we have the postseason in mind and when we are prepared and paying attention, we can beat anybody," Sewell said.

Up Next
The Salukis have won five straight games and 17 of their last 18 heading into a series against Bradley in Carbondale, Ill., this weekend, starting on Friday at 5 p.m.

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