Salukis Limit Panthers to Two Runs Across Two Games in Sweep of Friday Doubleheader

Friday, April 17

Carbondale, IL

2 PM

Southern Illinois University

26-14, 15-5

Northern Iowa

22-17, 10-6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Northern Iowa	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	4	0
Southern Ill.	0	0	0	0	1	1	X	2	7	0

Salukis Limit Panthers to Two Runs Across Two Games in Sweep of Friday Doubleheader

04/17/2026 | 10:18:00 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery

By: Dominic Hoscher, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - On Friday, the Southern Illinois University softball team (27-14 overall, 16-5 MVC) went 2-0 against Northern Iowa with a 2-1 win in game one and a 3-1 win in game two.

Pitchers Brooklynn Danielson, Emily Delgado, Hailey Lucas combined to hold UNI, the nation's seventh-highest scoring offense in terms of runs-per-game (8.4), to just two runs in the doubleheader.

Offensively, the Salukis had a team batting average of .327 on Friday against Northern Iowa. Hayden Kurtz led SIU with four hits, followed by Sydney Potter and Maleah Blomenkamp's three. Emily Williams' two RBI were a team-high.

Game One: 2-1 win vs. Northern Iowa
It was a low-scoring affair in game one of the series, with SIU winning by a final score of 2-1. Southern scored one run in the fifth and one in the sixth to earn the victory. As a team, the Salukis tallied seven hits with no errors while Northern Iowa had four hits and zero errors.

Danielson, the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week, managed to work around a one-out walk in the top of the first to keep Northern Iowa off the board. One inning later, the freshman struck out the first two batters she faced before the Panthers produced a pair of walks. A fly out to center, however, ended the inning with the score still at 0-0.

The game would remain scoreless until the fourth inning where UNI struck for its first run of the day. After a two-out triple, Northern Iowa's Skylar Benesh hit an RBI single to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the fifth, Danielson recorded her first 1-2-3 inning of the game to keep the deficit at one. This set the stage for the Salukis to tie the game in the bottom half. Kurtz started it off with a lead-off single and then was pinch-run for by Brooklyn Pritchett.

Pritchett came around to score on an RBI single by Blomenkamp to tie the game at 1-1.

With two runners on and two outs in the top of the sixth, Delgado entered the game to face one of the Valley's top hitters in Kate Lappe. The junior proceeded to strike Lappe out on five pitches to keep the game tied.

The Salukis took the lead in the bottom of the frame as Kurtz singled to left to score Potter and put the hosts ahead, 2-1.

Despite two Panthers getting on base in the seventh, Delgado ended the inning and the game with a strikeout, securing the 2-1 win for the Salukis.

Delgado (7-4) earned the win after allowing just one hit, no runs, and one walk with three strikeouts. Danielson recorded six strikeouts and allowed one earned run in 5.2 innings pitched.

Blomenkamp, Kurtz, and Mikaela Coburn led the team with two hits each in the win.

Game Two: 3-1 win vs. Northern Iowa
Lucas got the start in game two and stranded a Panther on base in the first inning. In the second, the freshman got out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the score at 0-0.

After UNI left two more on base in the top of the third, Southern Illinois took the lead after a Williams single scored Blomenkamp from second. At the end of three, SIU led, 1-0.

In the following inning, Lucas produced a ground out, fly out, and pop up to register a 1-2-3 frame and keep the Salukis ahead by one.

The lead was extended to 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth after a strong showing on the basepaths by Southern Illinois. While Coburn was stealing second, Knutson came around to score on a passed ball to make it a two-run game.

Northern Iowa cut into the lead with an unearned run in the sixth to cut the deficit to 2-1. Delgado, who relieved Lucas earlier in the inning, limited the damage to one after Coburn threw out a Panthers runner at home and then a strikeout and ground out by SIU's junior pitcher.

An insurance run was added off the bat of Williams who hit an RBI double to right field to score Haley Wilkerson. This pushed the lead up to 3-1 in favor of SIU.

In the seventh, UNI got one runner on after a one-out walk. One batter later, Delgado produced a game-ending ground ball to second where Erin Lee finished off the game with a double play.

Lucas improved to 8-6 with the win after allowing just one run (zero earned) in 5.0 innings pitched. Delgado picked up her fourth save of the season with two scoreless innings.

Williams paced Southern offensively with two hits and two RBI. Potter went 2-for-2 with two walks while Kurtz and Lee both also had two hits in the win.

Up Next
The Salukis will honor its seniors for Senior Day while also celebrating the 'Bark in the Park' game tomorrow against UNI. First pitch is currently scheduled for 1 p.m. at Charlotte West Stadium.

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