Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's softball team faced a challenging second day at the Tiger Invitational in Auburn, Alabama. The Salukis, now 0-4 for the season, competed against Auburn and North Carolina on Saturday but were unable to secure a win.

In their first game of the day, Southern Illinois played against Auburn. Despite a strong offensive effort, they lost 9-7. Erin Lee's grand slam in the fifth inning briefly put SIU ahead, while Anna Carder contributed with two RBIs. Maleah Blomenkamp and Addi Baker each added two hits to the team's tally.

Auburn initially took an early lead with a run in the first inning and extended it by scoring three more runs in the third. SIU's offense came alive in the fifth inning when Lee's grand slam pushed them into a 7-4 lead. However, Auburn responded with three consecutive home runs in the sixth inning to regain control of the game and ultimately secured their victory.

The second matchup of the day saw Southern Illinois facing North Carolina, resulting in a 3-0 loss for SIU. Emma Gipson pitched all six innings for Southern Illinois, allowing four runs with three earned. Haley Wilkerson was notable for her performance at bat, achieving two hits.

The game remained scoreless until North Carolina broke through in the bottom of the fifth inning with three runs off Gipson. Despite some late efforts from SIU's lineup, including Wilkerson reaching base and Carder walking to bring potential tying runs to play, they couldn't overcome North Carolina's lead.

Southern Illinois will conclude their participation in the Tiger Invitational on Sunday with a game against Appalachian State scheduled for 9 a.m.

Fans can follow updates about Southern Illinois' softball team on social media platforms such as Twitter (@SIU_Softball), Facebook (Facebook.com/SalukiSoftball), and Instagram (@SIU_Softball). Additionally, information is available through the "Salukis" Mobile App on both Apple and Google Play stores.