SIU Softball (19-3, 2-0 MVC) continued their dominating stretch to start the season back at home against Missouri State (9-15, 0-2 MVC) for their first few conference games. The Dawgs have won 14 of their last 15 games and have a run differential of +55 in the same stretch.

In both games, the Salukis found themselves down by 2-0 quickly, with a pair of runs coming by for the Bears in the third inning of game one and the first inning of game two. However, the Dawgs stormed back quickly in both cases to take the lead for good.

A three-run bottom of the third in game one sparked by a two-out single down the left field line by Aubree Depron gave the Salukis life. Elizabeth Warwick came through in the clutch on a full count to send Depron home with a double. Then the big guns came out. Freshman Jackie Lis smacked a homer out deep for her sixth of the year to give the Dawgs a 3-2 lead.

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Lis wasn’t done yet. She smashed a leadoff homer to start the fifth to add some insurance to the Salukis’ efforts. She’s now hit four home runs in the last two games for the Dawgs and sits atop the conference in runs, home runs, and total bases.

Pitcher Elliot Stinson helped shut down the Bears with 3.1 hitless innings including six strikeouts. However, it didn’t come without its scares.

After walking her sixth batter in the top of the seventh, starter Madi Eberle came back in to try to finish the job with two outs left. Eberle walked and allowed a hit after striking out her first batter to set up an intense at-bat with pinch hitter Emily Chadwick. Luckily, Chadwick grounded for a fielder’s choice, and the Dawgs survived game one with a 5-2 final.

Game two started out with a two-run shot for Missouri State off Hannah Hockerman for another 2-0 start over the Dawgs. It was up to Eberle once more to save the day in the first. She came into the game with the bases loaded against the Bear’s designated player and struck her out swinging, lessening the blow the Bears could have done.

The Dawgs got a run back in the bottom half of the inning off a fielder’s choice created by Jackie Lis after Aubree Depron’s triple.

A terrific start to the fourth for the Dawgs began with singles by Bailey Caylor and Emma Austin to put two runners on quickly. Lis being intentionally walked set up a bases-loaded situation with two outs for Rylie Hamilton and she delivered. A single down the right field line drove in the tying and leading run for the Dawgs. Anna Carder would follow through with a single of her own to bring Lis and Hamilton home for a 5-2 Saluki lead.

Austin and Carder would earn another RBI in the two innings following for some more insurance. But the Bears would give Eberle her first big trouble of the day in the sixth.

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Four straight batters would reach base to start the inning for Missouri State, earning their third run in the process. A single and a walk shortly after, allowed by Eberle, cut the deficit to just two runs before Eberle struck out a batter looking with the bases loaded. Another clutch moment by the Saluki ace to keep the lead.

No other hit was recorded by either team the rest of the way and the Dawgs came out on top with a 7-5 final. The Dawgs are now 10-0 at home to start the season and will look to extend that streak with another home series against conference rival Valparaiso (3-15) starting March 17 with a three-game series.

Sports editor Joseph Bernard can be reached at [email protected] or on twitter @Jojobernard2001. 

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