CARBONDALE, Ill. – Shaye Barton drove in two runs, including a squeeze bunt in the fifth inning, and Della Gher remained poise to collect her Missouri Valley Conference-leading seventh save of the season as Indiana State claimed a series-opening 5-2 win at Southern Illinois Friday afternoon at Charlotte West Stadium.
 
Barton's RBI single in the third broke open a 1-1 tie and gave Indiana State (19-18, 6-6) a lead that they would not relinquish throughout the rest of the game. But that was not for lack of effort out of Southern Illinois (21-16, 4-7) as the Salukis loaded the bases in the seventh before a double play and a fly out netted Gher's seventh save.
 
After Barton broke open the tie in the third, the Sycamores added a run in the fourth off of Mallory Marsicek's RBI single. Two more runs scored for the Sycamores in the fifth as Leslie Sims was plated thanks to the perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Barton then Bella Peterson scored from second as Brooke Mann reached on an error.
 
SIU would score one run in the seventh but it came on a bases-loaded double play. The Salukis would fly out to left to end the game.
 
Kylie Stober (5-7) was credited with the win as she allowed two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out for in six innings in the circle.
 
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Della Gher once again gets the nod as she remained cool under pressure. Just like Wednesday's win over Purdue, Gher walked a batter to load the bases but still was able to pull out the save as only one run scored after a double play then a fly out. Gher was only charged with the single walk and was not charged with a run or allow a hit.
 
STAT OF THE GAME
The young Sycamore team did not commit and error in the game marking the third consecutive game the Trees have been flawless in the field. An impressive feat considering wind gusts of up to 38 miles per hour made tracking fly balls a challenge for both teams.
 
PITCHERS OF RECORD

• Win: Kylie Stober, Indiana State (5-7)
• Loss: Brianna Jones, Southern Illinois (17-5)
• Save: Della Gher, Indiana State (7)

RECORDS UPDATE

• Indiana State: 19-18 (6-6 MVC)
• Southern Illinois: 21-16 (4-7 MVC)

NOTABLES

• Southern Illinois' lead in the all-time series now drops to 73-24
• Indiana State has now won the series opener against Southern Illinois for the sixth consecutive series
• Indiana State is now 3-2 in Missouri Valley Conference series openers this season
• Leslie Sims stole her 16^th base of the season. She is currently seventh in Indiana State history with 36 career stolen bases
• Della Gher recorded her Missouri Valley Conference-leading seventh save of the season
• The Sycamores are now 14-5 this season when scoring first

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