Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois softball team faced challenges during the San Marcos Classic, suffering defeats in both games they played on Sunday. The team struggled offensively, scoring only two runs across the two matches. In their first game against Kansas, Southern Illinois lost 4-1. Haley Wilkerson hit her first home run of the season, driving in the team's only run. McKenzie Newcomb provided solid relief pitching with four innings of one-hit ball without allowing any runs.

The game started with Kansas scoring in the bottom of the first inning after a double and a single drove in two runs. Wilkerson responded for Southern Illinois with a solo home run in the second inning, but Kansas extended their lead with additional runs in subsequent innings. Despite efforts from both teams, no further runs were scored after the third inning, concluding the game at 4-1.

In their second match against Texas State, Southern Illinois again found themselves on the losing side with a score of 2-1. Emily Williams contributed a solo home run to give Southern an early lead in the second inning. However, Texas State quickly responded with a solo homer and took control by adding another run shortly thereafter. Strong performances from pitchers Emma Gipson and Newcomb kept Texas State's offense limited to two runs throughout six innings.

The tournament continues on Monday with Southern Illinois set to face Kansas again at 9:30 a.m., followed by another matchup against Texas State at noon.

For updates on Southern Illinois softball, fans can follow their social media channels or download the "Salukis" Mobile App available on both iOS and Android platforms.