After holding down the fort for several games, the Saluki softball pitching staff finally showed some vulnerability Sunday.

Southwest Missouri State University scored 13 runs in the fourth and fifth innings for a 13-6 comeback victory to complete a two-game sweep over the Salukis. SIUC lost the first game 2-1.

The 13 runs were the most given up by SIUC since in 15-7 loss to Northern Illinois University in 1989.

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You have to give Southwest some credit, SIUC coach Kay Brechtelsbauer. They came back and then we came back and got the lead. Then they jumped all over us and we just basically collapsed.

The Salukis jumped to a 3-0 lead after a two RBI double junior third baseman Nikki Beard and a bases-loaded walk by freshman pitcher Erin Stremsterfer.

SMSU retaliated by scoring five in the fourth to give them a short-lived 5-3 lead. A two-run homer by freshman center fielder Marta Viefhaus capped a three-run fifth inning as the Salukis regained the lead.

Then disaster struck. The Bears bats heated up and destroyed the Saluki rotation.

SMSU scored eight runs, four of those earned, off sophomore Tracy Remspecher and sophomore Carisa Winters in the fifth.

Winters entered the game and threw three wild pitches. Stremsterfer finished the contest and was the losing pitcher.

Remspecher blames her recent pitching slump for the collapse on the mound. She has not pitched well in her last three outings.

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I just think that Erin and Carisa pitched so many innings, Remspecher said. The main reason is because of me, because I’m not pulling my weight.

SMSU coach Holly Hesse said her team is starting to play like the team picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bears improved to 17-15, 5-3.

Certainly sweeping Southern on their home field is extremely good for us, Hesse said. It’s a big step for us to start moving in the right direction.

The Salukis, who split with Wichita State University Saturday, finished the weekend 23-10-1, 5-3. SIUC won the first game over the Shockers 2-1 before dropping the second 4-3.

SIUC managed to overcome a 10-hit effort by the Shockers to win game one. Winters’ fourth strikeout of the game broke the SIUC single-season record of 148 set by Jamie Schuttek last year. Winters ended the game with 10 strikeouts and now has 161 on the season.

In game two the Shockers opened with an early 3-0 lead, by rouging up Remspecher in two innings. The Shockers banged out 13 for the game. A late rally for the Salukis came up short and WSU sophomore pitcher Tricia Grimsley earned the win.

The Salukis next action will be against the University of Evansville Wednesday at IAW Fields. Brechtelsbauer said her players are going have to focus on the Purple Aces and not let this weekend get them down.

It’s just a game we’re going to have to forget, Brechtelsbauer said. Now we just have to learn from it and then move forward.