Salukis Sweep Sunday Doubleheader; Go 5-0 at FGCU Kickoff Classic

Sunday, February 8

Fort Myers, FL

8 AM

Southern Illinois University

4-0

Ball State

1-3

Southern Illinois

Ball State

Salukis Sweep Sunday Doubleheader; Go 5-0 at FGCU Kickoff Classic

02/08/2026 | 5:11:00 | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Dominic Hoscher, SIUSalukis.com

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Southern Illinois University softball team's (5-0) hot start to the season continued on Sunday, blanking both Ball State, 4-0, and Long Island, 7-0.

In five games at the Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) Kickoff Classic, Southern Illinois went a perfect 5-0 and did not allow a run in three games.

"Proud of our club to get out of Florida with five wins," head coach Jen Sewell said. "Five games in three days and two on Sunday is a lot. Really happy with the pitching staff again today. And they still have a lot of learning and growing to do. We haven't even seen their best stuff, which is good."

Sydney Potter hit two more home runs on Sunday, giving her five in five games. Amanda Knutson and Mikaela Coburn both went deep for the first time in 2026 on the final day of the tournament. Knutson launched a two-run homer in game one vs. Ball State and Coburn hit a three-run shot in game two against Long Island.

"Offensively, we got a lot of people looks today and got some different lineups out there," Sewell said. "We needed to touch the dirt as much as possible too, defensively.

We continue to dig the long ball, but I liked the way we played team offense today too. Syd Potter just continues to amaze. But we now have people on base ahead of the big flies that she and others are getting a hold of."

Emma Gipson and Hailey Lucas combined for a shutout in game one, while Kiana McDowell and Emily Delgado did the same in game two. Gipson (1-0) got the win vs. Ball State, her first of the year, and Lucas earned the save. In the second game, McDowell (1-0) picked up her first win of the season in her first appearance.

Game One: 4-0 win vs. Ball State
In SIU's fourth game of the tournament, it scored four runs on 10 hits against the Cardinals. Gipson was strong out of the gate, allowing just a one-out single in the first inning.

Both teams stranded two baserunners each in the second, keeping the score at 0-0.

Southern scored the game's first two runs in the top of the fifth. After Charleston Pursley got on with a bunt single, Potter crushed a two-run shot to left field to give SIU a 2-0 lead. This was the junior's fourth of the season.

Gipson retired eight consecutive batters before allowing a one-out single in the bottom of the fifth. Lucas came in, struck out the first batter she faced, and then produced a grounder back to the circle to get out of the inning unscathed.

In the following inning, Sage Grann hit a one-out double to set the stage for Knutson. The junior third baseman proceeded to homer to deep left field to extend SIU's lead to 4-0.

Lucas worked around two hits in the sixth and one in the seventh to get the save in Southern's 4-0 victory over Ball State.

Game Two: 7-0 win vs. Long Island
The bats got going early in game two against the Sharks, posting a pair of runs in the first inning. SIU hit three-straight doubles with two outs, with Erin Lee hitting the first and scoring on an RBI double by Emily Williams. Williams came around and scored on one by freshman Delaney Osborne, her first-career hit in her first-career at bat.

McDowell had a quick, 1-2-3 inning in the second, generating three Long Island groundouts.

In the third, the Salukis posted a tied for season-high five runs to take a 7-0 lead. Pursley reached on an infield single, leading to a two-run home run by Potter, her fifth of the year in as many games.

After both Williams and Osborne got on, Coburn hit a three-run homer to right to put the Salukis ahead by seven. This was the outfielder's first of the season.

McDowell remained in until the fifth, where Delgado entered the ballgame and stranded a Shark on base.

Delgado went on to finish off the game without any harm being done to the scoreboard, leading to the 7-0 win for the Salukis.

Up Next
After a perfect, 5-0 start to the 2026 campaign, the Salukis will head to Puerto Vallarta for five games in Mexico. SIU's first game will be on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 11 a.m. CST vs. Eastern Kentucky. Southern will also face UTSA and Long Beach State in the tournament.