EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Southern Illinois (36-14) used a late-game rally to overcome the Illinois State softball team (31-10) in the semifinal round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Friday.
BIRD BITS
Top Offensive Players:
Pitching Breakdown:
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS
- After a trio of strikeouts delivered by Morgan Day in the top of the frame, an RBI single from Andrea Coursey in the home half of the third helped the Redbirds break open scoring.
- Both sides worked the first 1-2-3 inning of the game in the fourth, while Day added her eighth strikeout in the fifth.
- The Salukis charged ahead, 4-1, with the help of four unearned runs in the sixth.
- Back-to-back doubles down the right field line by pinch hitter Brandi LaFountaine and freshman Jayden Standish in the bottom of the inning helped put the pair of runners in scoring position with one out, before SIU's Sarah Harness used her 13th strikeout to escape the jam.
- Southern Illinois extended its lead in the top of the seventh, using a three-run homer to jump out to a 7-1 advantage.
- With the top of the order due up for the Redbirds in the final frame, Mack Leonard knocked a single to right center field and Kaili Chval drew a walk, before Emme Olson made it on base with an error by the Salukis. A sac fly RBI to right field by Coursey pushed a Redbird runner home, but a strikeout from Harness sealed the win for SIU.
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