CARBONDALE, Ill. – The softball Bears started and finished Wednesday's game at Southern Illinois with some highlight-reel moments. But in between, the Salukis did their damage and slipped away with a 7-5 victory over the Bears to clinch the series.
 
Tess Weakly's two-run homer in the top of the first gave the visitors an early advantage. Her fourth home run of the spring also plated Abby Ford who walked and stole second before scoring on Weakly's blast to left.
 
SIU (19-3, 2-0 MVC) cut its deficit in half in the home half of the first before plating four more runs off Bears starter McKenzie Vaughan (1-5) in the third. The Salukis strung four hits together in the decisive inning to build a 5-2 advantage before tacking on single tallies in the fourth and fifth innings to lead by five.
 
But MoState's sixth inning rally made a game of it. Alex Boze led the inning off with a walk before Kim DeBold reached, and Ellie McCoy loaded the bases with an infield hit. Annie Mueller then rapped a base hit to left before another RBI single from Kenzie Derryberry brought DeBold home. A bases-loaded walk to Olivia Krehbiel then made it a 7-5 contest with Weakly due up. But a three-pitch strikeout of the MSU slugger soon ended the threat with the Bears stranding three but closing the gap.
 
MSU Reliever Shelby Houchlei held SIU in check in the bottom of the sixth to give the visitors a chance. Boze then led off the top of the seventh for the Bears by getting hit by a pitch and bringing the potential tying run to the plate.
 
But the Bears soon ran out of breaks with Saluki reliever Madi Eberle (8-1) slamming the door with a pair of pop outs and a grounder to third to finish things out.
 
Eberle pitched 6.1 innings in relief to earn the win for SIU, striking out three and scatting four hits. The Salukis got two hits apiece from Anna Carder, Bailey Caylor and Emma Austin with Carder driving in three.
 
MSU's starter Vaughan struck out four and allowed eight hits in 5.0 innings of work before Houchiel pitched a scoreless inning out of the bullpen. McCoy's two hits led the Bears.
 
Up next, Missouri State opens a seven-game home stand on Friday evening when the Bears (9-15, 0-2 MVC) host Drake at 5 p.m. to kick off a Valley weekend series at Killian Stadium. Admission is free to all MSU home games this season.