Carbondale Reporter

The Southern Illinois University softball team secured a 3-0 victory against Belmont in Nashville, clinching a 2-1 series win. Coach Jen Sewell praised the team for making adjustments: “We made some really good adjustments, and people really paid attention and honed in.” The Salukis aimed to reduce their strikeouts from the previous game's 13 and successfully did so, bringing the count down to five.

The Salukis achieved their victory with three runs on five hits, while Belmont managed only two hits. Pitcher McKenzie Newcomb improved her record to 11-5, allowing two hits and two walks with two strikeouts as she held Belmont scoreless through 5.1 innings. Emma Gipson contributed by allowing no hits in her 1.2 innings pitched.

Offensively, Anna Carder aided SIU with two hits out of three at-bats, one run, and one RBI. Jackie Lis and Addi Baker scored the other two runs, while Emily Williams and Amanda Knutson added the additional RBIs.

Southern Illinois started strong defensively, with Gipson retiring Belmont’s first three batters. Newcomb took over in the second inning to hold off Belmont. SIU’s offense excelled in the third inning with Lis and Carder fueling a two-out drive leading to a 2-0 lead.

Newcomb continued to fend off Belmont, allowing only a single base runner in subsequent innings. In the seventh, Knutson's triple brought Baker home, extending SIU's lead to 3-0 and sealing Belmont's fate, as the Bruin's lead-off single in the final inning was swiftly nullified by Newcomb.

SIU’s win marks a significant move as they lead the Missouri Valley Conference with a 10-1 record in conference play and an overall standing of 18-15. Next, the Salukis will face Indiana State at home, starting on April 4 at Charlotte West Stadium.

Fans can keep up with the Salukis’ progress on social media and through the "Salukis" Mobile App available on both the App Store and Google Play Store.