CARBONDALE, Ill. – Indiana State softball split a doubleheader against Southern Illinois on Saturday afternoon at Charlotte West Stadium, bouncing back to win game two 6-1 after the Salukis took game one 4-2.
 
The Sycamores (21-22, 8-11) used a five-run fifth inning in game two to surpass their win total from 2021 with a 6-1 win over Southern Illinois (21-17-1, 10-9) to even the series heading into Sunday.
 
Game One
A double to right center from Amanda Guercio put runners on second and third for the Sycamores with just one out in the opening frame. Isabella Henning drove in Bella Peterson with a sacrifice fly to give Indiana State an early 1-0 lead. It was Henning's MVC-leading 36th RBI of the season.
 
Lexi Benko worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom half of the first to keep the Salukis off the board.
 
The Sycamores got a pair of base hits in the second from Lexie Siwek and Abi Chipps but Siwek was thrown out at home to end the inning. In the bottom of the second, SIU again threatened to score but a strong throw from Bella Peterson in right field nailed the Saluki runner at the plate to get out of it.
 
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Salukis began the frame with a pair of singles. SIU would later take the lead on a 2-RBI triple to left center from Emma Austin. Ashley Wood extended the Saluki lead to 3-1 with a sacrifice fly to score Austin.
 
Indiana State would scatter a pair of hits in the fifth and sixth but were unable to get a run across as SIU took a 3-1 lead into the bottom half of the sixth. The Salukis added another run in the frame, getting an RBI double down the left field line from Jenny Jansen to go up 4-1.
 
The Sycamores got two runners on with back-to-back walks in the seventh by Thomerson and Siwek. After Thomerson was thrown out at third trying to steal, Annie Tokarek singled to center and Siwek came around to score after an SIU throwing error to make it a 4-2 game. Danielle Henning then reached on a walk to get a runner on with one away but the Salukis were able to get two-straight outs to escape with the win.
 
Lexi Benko went six innings, striking out three while giving up four earned runs on 10 hits. The loss drops her to 10-12 on the season.
 
At the plate, Indiana State finished with six hits, getting one hit apiece from Guercio, Thomerson, Siwek, Tokarek, Chipps and Danielle Henning.
 
Game Two
In the first inning of game two, Bella Peterson recorded her 18th double of the season which is tied for second-most in the country but the Sycamores left a pair of runners on base as SIU got out of the jam. With her appearance, she became the all-time leader for games played in a career at Indiana State with 213.
 
Cassi Newbanks started for Indiana State and worked a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half of the first.
 
Kennedy Shade and Abi Chipps reached with singles in the second to give ISU three early hits. Saluki starter Madi Eberle was able to strand the Sycamores in scoring position again to keep it a 0-0 game.
 
The Salukis were robbed of a hit in the bottom of the second by Isabella Henning at first as she leaped to catch a line drive and help give Newbanks another 1-2-3 frame.
 
Henning picked up her MVC-leading 37th RBI in the third with a single to center which scored Peterson who reached with a leadoff walk and got to second on a Amanda Guercio sacrifice bunt.
 
Newbanks worked around a pair of Saluki hits in the bottom of the third to keep them off the scoreboard as she got the top hitter for SIU in Jenny Jansen to fly out to end the inning.
 
Southern Illinois loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of singles and a walk. With two away in the inning, the Salukis would tie the game at one with a hit by pitch which would be the end of the road for Cassi Newbanks as Hailey Griffin entered in relief. Griffin struck out the only batter she faced to limit the damage in the inning.
 
The Sycamores put up a crooked number in the top of the fifth, scoring five runs in the frame to take a 6-1 lead. Olivia Patton started the scoring as she reached on an error and came around to score on another Saluki error after a Peterson single. Amanda Guercio then reached on a fielder's choice with a bunt as SIU tried to throw out Peterson at second but she would beat the throw to give ISU a pair of baserunners. After a wild pitch, Annie Tokarek laid down a bunt which would go for a RBI to put the Sycamores up 3-1.
 
Lexie Siwek followed Tokarek with a RBI single to score Guercio which put Indiana State up 4-1. Kennedy Shade reached on a throwing error which put runners on second and third for Danielle Henning who drove in Siwek and Shade to plate two more runs in the frame to grow the ISU lead to 6-1 after the top half of the fifth.
 
Olivia Patton reached with a single in the sixth but would be called out for leaving early on a steal attempt which helped get SIU out of the inning without any damage.
 
Hailey Griffin worked a clean inning in the sixth, getting some help from her defense as Bella Peterson made a diving catch in right to save a hit. Griffin struck out the game's final batter, getting the victory to improve to 3-0 on the season. She finished with four strikeouts over 3.1 innings to stifle the Saluki bats.
 
Indiana State finished with nine hits, getting contributions from eight different players while holding Southern Illinois to six hits.
 
Up Next
The series will conclude Sunday morning as first pitch has been moved up to 11 a.m. CT due to impending rain later in the afternoon.

For the latest information on Sycamore Softball, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.