Salukis Take Game One vs. Western Carolina, 6-5, Before Falling, 12-2, Against Purdue

Friday, February 27

Nashville, TN

10 AM

Southern Illinois University

8-7

Western Carolina

8-4

Southern Ill.

Western Caro.

Salukis Take Game One vs. Western Carolina, 6-5, Before Falling, 12-2, Against Purdue

02/27/2026 | 4:40:00 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: Dominic Hoscher, SIUSalukis.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - It was a mixed bag of results for the Southern Illinois University softball team (9-8) on the opening day of the Lipscomb Purple and Gold Challenge, splitting the doubleheader against Western Carolina (6-5 win) and Purdue (12-2 loss).

Southern's 6-5 win over Western Carolina was highlighted by junior Sydney Potter's 3-for-4 day where she had three RBI and one home run, her 11th of the season. Potter is tied for second in the NCAA in home runs. Emily Delgado (2-1) earned the win while Brooklynn Danielson (1) picked up the save.

Purdue was lifted by a four-run fifth inning in its win over SIU. The Boilermakers scored nine runs over the final three innings to win by a final score of 12-2.

Game One: 6-5 win vs. Western Carolina
The Salukis started the day with a 6-5 win over Western Carolina. Southern Illinois tallied six runs on eight hits with three errors in the victory, while the Catamounts recorded five runs on five hits with no errors.

Sophomore pitcher Emma Gipson got the start and went two innings for SIU. Gipson worked around an error with no outs to have a clean first inning. Potter threw out a runner at second to end the first with a caught stealing.

One at bat after throwing out a Western Carolina runner, Potter launched a three-run home run to left to give the Salukis a 4-0 lead. Prior to the homer, Southern's first run came on an RBI single by Maleah Blomenkamp, scoring Amanda Knutson.

The Catamounts cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the second with three runs, making it a 4-3 game.

Southern Illinois answered back with two runs of its own one inning later. Outfielder Mikaela Coburn singled to center to drive in Erin Lee, followed by Charleston Pursley bringing in Haley Wilkerson to put the Salukis ahead, 6-3.

Delgado entered the game in the bottom of the third and only allowed a one-out single. In the fourth, the junior pitcher tossed a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout.

Three groundouts to Lee at second base in the bottom of the fifth finished off Delgado's strong outing. The junior allowed just one hit with zero walks and two strikeouts in three scoreless innings.

Western Carolina struck for two runs in the bottom of the sixth against Danielson after a two-run home run made it 6-5. The freshman pitcher responded with three strikeouts to end the inning and keep SIU ahead by one.

Danielson was dominant in the seventh, recording a lineout, strikeout, and a groundout to secure the 6-5 win for Southern Illinois.

Game Two: 12-2 loss vs. Purdue
The Boilermakers got off to a hot start against Southern Illinois, scoring three runs in the first after a three-run home run against freshman Hailey Lucas.

Southern Illinois got on the board in the bottom of the second. After Emily Williams reached on an error, Brooklyn Pritchett pinch ran for the SIU first baseman and scored on a Wilkerson double. Through two innings, Southern trailed, 3-1.

Lucas recorded 1-2-3 third and fourth innings, keeping the deficit at two. That was until Pursley drew a one-out, bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the fourth to make it 3-2. Purdue got out of the inning with the lead after posting back-to-back strikeouts.

The Boilermakers capitalized on the momentum with four runs in the fifth, taking a 7-2 lead.

Purdue went on to add two more runs in the sixth and three in the seventh to win, 12-2.

Up Next
The Salukis will have a rematch against both the Boilermakers and Catamounts on Saturday. First, Southern Illinois will face Purdue at 10 a.m., followed by an evening matchup against Western Carolina at 5:30 p.m.

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