The Salukis (27-5) remain undefeated at Charlotte West Stadium after sweeping their three-game set against the Indiana State Sycamores (17-17). SIU’s pitching remained dominant in this series as after winning Saturday’s game 5-1, the Dawgs shutout Indiana State during both games of Sunday’s doubleheader.

Madi Ederle got the ball in the first game, turning in a complete game for the Salukis. She tossed seven innings of one-run ball, struck out four, and only surrendered three hits and a walk. It took Ederle 106 pitches to go the distance as she held the Indiana State offense under control to earn her 11th win of the season.

Sycamores starter Lexi Benko matched Ederle for the first four innings, leaving the game scoreless into the fifth inning. Then Indiana State got an RBI double that scored their first and only run to put them ahead. 

But Southern’s offense woke up simultaneously, scoring three runs in their half of the fifth where Anna Carder doubled in the first of three runs she drove in for SIU on the day. It set up the next batter, Sidney Jones, who crushed a home run to extend the Saluki lead to 3-1. Carder added a two-run single the following inning for the Dawgs. Elizabeth Warwick also had a good day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with all hits being singles and scoring a run as well.

SIU scored the only run in the second game of the series and Ederle turned in another dominant performance. The single score was enough for the Salukis’ ace as she bested her outing the day before. Ederle pitched a complete game shutout while only allowing two hits and two walks over a brisk 84 pitches.

Similarly to Game 1, it was a scoreless tie deep into the game until the Dawgs finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth. Carder was involved again, as she hit a leadoff double to left center. Kerrigan Gamm came in to pinch run for Carder and after moving over to third on a groundout, she scored on an RBI single from Bailey Caylor that put the Salukis ahead 1-0.

In the second game of the doubleheader and final game of the set, Hannah Hockerman and Elliot Stinson combined to shutout the Sycamores again. Hockerman turned in the first three innings only allowing a hit and a walk. Stinson finished the last four innings of the game and earned her 10th win of the year as she also only surrendered a hit while striking out two.

Two of the four Saluki hits came in the bottom of the third where they also scored their two lone runs of the game. Caylor led off the frame with a bunt single and Jackie Lis walked before Carder came through at the plate again. She doubled into the right-center gap that plated Caylor and Lis which is all the Salukis’ pitching tandem needed.

The Dawgs are now 17-0 at home and have won four in a row after dropping the last two games of the Belmont series. They will take on Saint Louis University (14-18) for a midweek matchup at the Billikens on Wednesday at 3 pm.

Sports reporter Howard Woodard can be reached at [email protected].

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