TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -Indiana State (11-22, 5-3) heads to Charlotte West Stadium this weekend for a three-game series against Southern Illinois (18-15, 10-1). The series begins Friday at 6 p.m. ET, followed by game two on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, and the finale on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Last Time Out
Indiana State defeated Butler 8-2 on Tuesday, driven by an 11-hit offense and strong pitching performances from Lauren Sackett and Hailey Griffin.

The Sycamores took an early 2-0 lead in the 1st inning, and after Butler tied the game at 2-2, Indiana State responded with a 3-run 2nd inning to go up 5-2. The Sycamores added three more runs in the 6th inning for an 8-2 advantage.

Key offensive contributions came from Morgan Goodrich (2-for-3, 2 RBIs), Sophie Esposito (3-for-4, 3 RBIs), and Kenzie Cornwell (2 hits).

Sackett earned the win, pitching 4 innings with 2 runs allowed, while Griffin secured the save with 3 shutout innings, striking out 5. The Sycamores' pitchers allowed just 2 hits, 2 runs, and struck out 9.

Sycamore Standouts
Madison Poulson leads the Sycamores with 26 hits while batting .280 and driving in six runs. Lauren Marsicek holds the highest batting average at .293 and boasts a .344 on-base percentage, while recording eight doubles. Morgan Goodrich has been patient at the plate, drawing a team-high 17 walks, contributing to her strong .383 OBP.

Sophie Esposito provides power to the lineup, second on the team in slugging percentage (.398) with three doubles, three triples and two home runs. Hannah Welch continues to make an impact on the basepaths, leading the Sycamores with 17 runs scored and a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts.

In the Circle
Hailey Griffin has been a standout in the circle for the Sycamores, leading the team with a 2.32 ERA. She holds a 5-5 record across 18 appearances, including 14 starts, and has thrown six complete games with three shutouts. Over 84.1 innings, she has struck out 77 batters while limiting opponents to a .188 batting average.

Lauren Sackett has also been a key contributor, logging 81.2 innings with a 2.74 ERA and 74 strikeouts. Sackett has thrown six complete games and has held opposing hitters to a .247 average.

Scouting SIU
Southern Illinois enters this weekend's series as the top-ranked team in the MVC. The Salukis are coming off a series win at Belmont, taking two of three games in Nashville. They opened with a 10-3 victory before falling 5-0 in game two but secured the series with a 3-0 shutout on Saturday. McKenzie Newcomb earned MVC Newcomer of the Week honors after allowing just two hits over 6.2 scoreless innings in the series.

Matchup History
Indiana State looks to shift momentum against Southern Illinois, trailing the all-time series 32-86. The Sycamores last win over the Salukis came on April 28, 2017, in a 2-1 victory, but they have since dropped eight straight, including a 9-0 loss in their most recent matchup on April 28, 2024. Their longest winning streak in the series is three games (2016-2017), while their largest margin of victory was an 8-2 win on April 28, 1995. 

Follow the Sycamores
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. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.