Salukis Off To Their Best Start In Over 30 Years With Sweep Over Valpo

Carbondale, Ill. - The Southern Illinois Salukis completed its three-game series sweep over the Valparaiso Beacons Sunday afternoon with a 9-1 win in five innings.

With the win, SIU improves to 22-3 (5-0 MVC) as they've won seven-straight on its way to the program's best start since the 1991 season when the Salukis began the year 35-3. Current Saluki Associate Head Coach Mary Jo Firnbach was a member of the Salukis' 1991 team that went 42-7 and took a trip to the Women's College World Series. 

"They just come ready to go. You have to be a competitor at this level and you have to compete," said head coach Jen Sewell following the win. "I think that's what I appreciate the most about them is they expect to win, and that sounds really cliche and obvious but this team expects to win and it shows up in the tight games and it shows up in the run-rule games."

The Salukis made several key plays on defense including a robbery by Elizabeth Warwick as she outstretched over the left field wall to haul in what would've been a three-run home run for Valpo in the second inning. Rylie Hamilton also saved a run in the fourth as she charged a bunted ball and flipped the ball home and in time to get the out at the plate. Shortstop Jackie Lis also got in on the fun with a pair of line drive snags that would've been base hits for the Beacons. 

Madi Eberle got the win in the circle for SIU, giving up just four hits and a walk with no earned runs allowed as she improved to 9-1 on the season. Eberle, a junior, continues to lead the Missouri Valley Conference with a 1.45 ERA as she's allowed just 13 earned runs in 62.2 innings pitched.

Hannah Hockerman came in for the save, retiring the Beacons in order in the fifth inning while striking out one. Hockerman earned her fourth save of the year, which marks her as the Valley's leader. 

As a staff, the Salukis lead the Missouri Valley with a 2.16 ERA as all three pitchers currently have ERAs under 3.00. Elliott Stinson (2.63) and Hannah Hockerman (2.76) are both amongst the Valley's top-12 in regards to ERA. 

SIU tallied 10 hits on the day as it now has had double-digit hits three straight games, as well as four of its last five. Emma Austin, Elizabeth Warwick, and Rylie Hamilton all went 2-for-3 on the day. Hamilton hit her fifth home run of the season to leadoff the second inning, as she now has five home runs and 26 RBIs on the year, both second-most in the Valley behind teammate Jackie Lis who tallied a two-RBI single in the win. Anna Carder hit her second long ball of the season in the third as the Salukis scored four runs in the inning. Carder's 19 RBI's are the sixth-most in the Valley as she's had nine extra-base hits. 

Emma Austin has had eight-straight games with two or more hits as she now leads the Missouri Valley with a .500 batting average on the season with 34 hits including six triples. During the eight-game span, Austin has also totaled nine runs and four RBIs.

Senior Aubree DePron extended her 11-game hitting streak with a two-RBI single in the fifth inning to walk the game off. DePron has recorded a hit in 22 of SIU's 25 games as she currently has a .425 average, third-highest in the MVC.

Next up for the Salukis is a trip to Cape Girardeau as they'll take on the SEMO Redhawks this Tuesday at 3 PM. Following Tuesday's game, the Salukis will return to Carbondale before hitting the road again for their first Valley road trip of the season as the Salukis will head to Belmont for a three-game series beginning Friday evening at 5 PM.

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