Box Score

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Regional-rival Southern Illinois (31-14) used three extra-base hits to score all but two of its runs and hold off Southeast Missouri (22-26), 7-6, in a see-saw battle Wednesday night at Charlotte West Stadium.

Southeast lost by one run for the 15^th time this season, falling to 3-15 in such games.

The Redhawks took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third with the help of four-straight one-out hits.

Evan Sallis tripled and Cheyenne Gipson reached on an ensuing bunt single, giving the Redhawks runners at first and third. Renee Kertz knocked in Sallis on a base hit and Taylor Cowan followed with a single which scored Gipson.

SIU quickly answered to take the lead during its at-bat in the third.

Morgan Barchan drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on an error. Mallory Duran-Sellers came up next and belted a double to plate Barchan. Taylor Orsburn's single drove in both Duran-Sellers and Michelle Bradley to grab the Salukis a 3-2 edge.

Southeast regained the lead when Cowan slugged a three-run home run with one out in the top of the fifth. Gipson and Kertz singled before Cowan's third homer of the season gave the Redhawks a 5-3 advantage.

SIU, however, regrouped to push across four runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Allie VandeBoncouer and Meredith Wilson each contributed a two-RBI double to get a 7-5 lead for the Salukis.

Southeast pulled to within a run when Shelby Stein scored on a wild pitch in the sixth, but came up empty with runners on first and second in the seventh, allowing SIU to escape with the 7-6 victory.

SIU was outhit, 10-5, on the day, but used three doubles to get five of its seven runs. Orsburn, VadeBoncouer and Wilson finished with two RBI apiece.

Alyssa Wunderlich improved to 11-2 on the season after coming out of the bullpen to allow one run and record a strikeout in 1.1 innings.

Katie Bertelsen picked up her team-high fourth save when she allowed one hit in 1.1 scoreless innings. Bertelsen also struck out Gipson to end Southeast's threat in the seventh.

Cowan (1-5) suffered the loss. She allowed four runs on two hits, while striking out one and walking three in two innings. Redhawk pitchers issued a total of six walks in the game.

Offensively, nine of Southeast's 10 hits came from the first four hitters in the lineup.

Sallis went 3-for-5 with a run scored, Gipson went 2-for-4 with two runs, Kertz went 2-for-4 with a run and one RBI and Cowan went 2-for-3 with one run, a homer and four RBI.

Southeast returns to action when it heads to Murray State for a crucial three-game Ohio Valley Conference series, beginning with a 1 p.m., CT, doubleheader Saturday.