SIU softball picked up its fifth-straight win on Wednesday, improving to 28-5 on the season with a 10-2 win over the Saint Louis Billikens.

Elizabeth Warwick shined at the plate, with a grand slam and two doubles to mark a career-high with three hits. The junior outfielder drove in five runs, also a career-high.

Despite the lopsided final score, the matchup was close most of the way. After giving up a solo home run against just the second batter she faced, Saluki starter Hannah Hockerman held the Billikens to just the one run in two innings of work before turning it over to Elliott Stinson.

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In the top of the third, Southern tied the game at 1 on a Warwick double, and she later came around to score to give SIU a 2-1 lead. Stinson entered during the bottom half of that inning, and held the Billikens to just one run in four innings of work.

However, that one run came on another solo shot, which tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth. The lead was taken back for good in the next half-inning, as Addi Baker would hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the top of the sixth, her first home run of the year. SIU would add four insurance runs on Warwick’s seventh-inning grand slam.

With the win on Wednesday, Southern has claimed victory in seven of its last eight matchups against Saint Louis, and improved its all-time record against the Billikens 25-4 dating back to 2002.

The Salukis will continue the next leg of an eight-game road trip this weekend, visiting the Evansville Purple Aces (17-18, 3-7). They will then take on SEMO (17-9) in Cape Girardeau next Tuesday before a weekend showdown beginning April 14 against Northern Iowa (20-10, 9-0), the only undefeated team left in the MVC.

Staff reporter Brandyn Wilcoxen can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @BrandynWilcoxen. 

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