Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University’s softball team is set to compete in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship for the third consecutive year. The team secured its spot by defeating Illinois State 8-3 on Friday. The victory was marked by strong performances, including that of McKenzie Newcomb, who achieved her 20th win of the season.

Head coach Jen Sewell expressed her satisfaction with the team's performance: "I'm so impressed with how aggressive we've been at the plate on good pitchers," she said. "Just absolutely locked in up and down the lineup card."

The Salukis will face either Belmont or Northern Iowa in the championship game scheduled for Saturday, May 10, at 1 p.m. They aim to achieve their first three-peat in program history.

In Friday's game, Southern Illinois scored eight runs on 12 hits, while Illinois State managed three runs on eight hits. Sage Grann contributed significantly with three RBIs, and Jackie Lis added two more. Erin Lee and Mikaela Coburn each scored twice.

The match saw Southern Illinois take an early lead with a run in the first inning followed by three more in the second. Although Illinois State closed the gap with a three-run homer in the fourth inning, Southern Illinois extended their lead again in the fifth inning.

Newcomb showed resilience throughout her time on the mound, allowing six hits and no earned runs over 6.2 innings pitched.

The Salukis will now prepare for their upcoming challenge as they vie for another MVC title.