Salukis Head to Murray State for Tuesday Doubleheader

04/20/2026 | 4:48:00 | Softball

By: Dominic Hoscher, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Three days after completing a three-game sweep against Northern Iowa, the Southern Illinois University softball team (28-14 overall, 17-5 MVC) will be back in action for a Tuesday doubleheader at Murray State starting at 2 p.m.

Details
- Date: Tuesday, April 21
- Location: Racer Field - Murray, Ky.
- Opponent: Murray State
- Live Stats: Game 1 (2 p.m.) | Game 2 (4:30 p.m.)
- Watch: Game 1 (2 p.m.) | Game 2 (4:30 p.m.) - All games will be streamed on ESPN+

Weekly Recap
Southern Illinois improved to 28-14 overall and 17-5 in conference play after its sweep of Northern Iowa this past weekend.

The Salukis honored their three seniors on Saturday: Erin Lee, Haley Wilkerson, and Brooklyn Pritchett.

Southern out-scored the Panthers, 10-5, in the three games and had a team ERA of 1.33. SIU held UNI to a combined two runs during the Friday doubleheader.

In game one, the Salukis defeated the Panthers, 2-1. Maleah Blomenkamp delivered the game-tying hit in the fifth while Hayden Kurtz drove in Sydney Potter for the winning run in the sixth. Brooklynn Danielson and Emily Delgado combined to limit Northern Iowa to just one run.

Southern won, 3-1, in game two with Emily Williams driving in two of the team's three runs. Hailey Lucas earned her eighth win of the season while Delgado picked up her fourth save.

The Salukis took game three, 5-3, on Saturday after Amanda Knutson hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead. Delgado tallied her second win of the week after coming out of the bullpen.

As a team, SIU combined for a .306 batting average and scored 10 runs. Kurtz led the Salukis with a .600 average and six hits, while Potter reached base seven times with three hits and four walks. Knutson's three RBI were a team-high.

Across three appearances, Delgado went 2-0 with one save and a 0.00 ERA. The junior's eight strikeouts were second on the team behind Danielson's 11. The freshman also had a 1.45 ERA in 9.2 innings pitched.

Series History
The Salukis are 18-6-1 against the Racers in the first 25 meetings between the two programs.

Southern Illinois has won eight of the last nine matchups and went 2-1 vs. Murray State in 2025.

The last time the two sides squared off in Murray, Ky., was in May of 2024. Southern Illinois swept the Racers in three games and out-scored the hosts, 10-2.

SIU and Murray State first met on May 1, 2022, in Carbondale, Ill. The Salukis won the first-ever meeting, 4-2.

Over the last 10 meetings, Southern Illinois holds a record of 8-2 against Murray State. The two teams have also met once in the MVC Tournament with the lone postseason meeting coming on May 9, 2024, in Normal, Ill. Southern won by a final score of 2-1.

Looking at the Racers
The Racers enter Tuesday's doubleheader with a 19-20 overall record and 10-8 conference record.

In its last series, Murray State split a two-game series against Indiana State on Friday, April 17. Game three, which was scheduled for Saturday, was canceled due to weather.

Over their last 10 games, the Racers are 6-4.

Freshman Allie Waldron leads Murray State offensively with a .342 batting average, .453 on-base percentage, .509 slugging percentage, eight doubles, and 23 RBI.

Senior pitcher Bre Haislip boasts a team-leading 2.75 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 114.2 innings pitched in 2026.

Valley Update
Southern Illinois currently sits in second place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings heading into Tuesday's doubleheader at Murray State. SIU's three-game winning streak is currently the longest in the league.

Belmont is in first with a 19-4 MVC record. The Bruins will be heading to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to face fourth-place Northern Iowa this weekend.

Sitting in third is Illinois State at 14-8 in conference play. After traveling to DePaul for a single game on Tuesday, the Redbirds will then host Murray State for a three-game series this weekend in Normal, Ill.

Murray State (fifth) and Evansville (sixth) are currently in the final two playoff spots entering the week.

Delgado Dominance
Facing one of the nation's top offenses, junior pitcher Emily Delgado had one of her strongest weeks as a Saluki in SIU's sweep of Northern Iowa.

Delgado went 2-0 with one save, a 0.00 ERA, and eight strikeouts across three appearances. The junior allowed just four hits, two walks, and had an opposing batting average of .200.

The Corona, Calif., native's 2.70 ERA currently ranks fifth in the MVC while her four saves are the third-most in the conference. Delgado's three saves in conference play are a league-high.

Single-Season Records to Watch
Junior Sydney Potter is just one home run away from tying the single-season home run record at 17 (Jackie Lis in 2023 and Emily Williams in 2025). Potter currently has 16 on the year and is looking for her first since April 6 at Indiana State.

Williams is also climbing the home run ranks with 13 so far this season. This ranks eighth all-time for SIU. Williams is one away from going into a three-way tie for fifth at 14 (Katie Jordan and Maria Damico in 2005, and Katie Wilson in 2007).

In terms of RBI, Williams' 48 are tied for the seventh-most in a season with Katelyn Massa (2018) and Lis (2025). The record currently sits at 57, which was set by Lis in 2023.

Other Key Offensive Numbers
It has been a home run surge lately for junior Amanda Knutson who homered again vs. Northern Iowa, giving her seven on the season. This ranks third on the team and is tied for 11th in the Valley. Knutson has gone deep three times over her last six games.

Redshirt sophomore Maleah Blomenkamp kept rolling against UNI, tallying four hits, a .400 batting average, and one RBI during the sweep. Blomenkamp's .387 batting average leads the team and ranks fifth in the conference. In MVC play, the outfielder is batting .478, the second-best mark in the league.

Ever since entering SIU's starting lineup on March 1 at Lipscomb, sophomore Hayden Kurtz has been one of the team's most consistent hitters. Kurtz is second on the team in batting average (.359), OPS (1.047), and is fourth in both home runs (five) and RBI (23). The sophomore is riding a 10-game hitting streak and has two hits in four-straight games.

Inside the Circle
Southern Illinois is second in the MVC in overall ERA (2.93) and in conference play (1.92). SIU is the only team in the Valley with three pitchers ranking top five in ERA with Lucas (2.33) in second, Danielson (2.42) in third, and Delgado (2.70) in fifth.

Danielson, who earned MVC Pitcher of the Week honors for the first time in her career on April 14, has a 1.25 ERA against Valley opponents, ranking second in the conference. The freshman's 49 strikeouts in MVC play are the third-most in the league while her 1.14 WHIP ranks fourth.

Overall, Lucas is second in the conference in both ERA (2.33) and WHIP (1.09). The Palatine, Ill., native hasn't allowed more than two runs in a game in each of her previous five outings.

In Valley play, Delgado has the league's third-strongest WHIP at 1.04.

Follow the Salukis
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.