Box Score CARBONDALE, Ill. – Missouri State softball (4-21, 3-2 MVC) suffered a 9-2 loss on the road at Southern Illinois (13-14, 5-0 MVC) on Wednesday afternoon. The Salukis officially clinched the series over the Bears as they posted nine runs on 14 hits in the ballgame.
 
SIU got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning courtesy of an RBI single down the right field line, but MoState answered right back in the second inning.
 
Halle Studer got the offense started with a one-out single to left field in the second. The Salukis were able to get the lead runner on a Taylor Akers fielder's choice, but Akers would ultimately make them pay. She took the next two bases on wild pitches to put her at third base with two outs. Chloe Merced then knocked a triple to right center field, scoring Akers to tie the game at 1-1.
 
The Salukis added a single run in the second and fourth to pull slightly away from the Bears with the score sitting at 3-1 with four innings in the books.
 
Missouri State came to the plate in the top of the fifth trailing by two and hit back-to-back singles with just one out on the board. However, a fly out and a ground out ended the MoState threat, stranding two runners of the eight that were left on base on the day.
 
That's when Southern Illinois broke things open. SIU led off the fifth inning with a solo homer, before two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs. The Salukis' Anna Carder then drilled one over the fence in left center field for a grand slam as the SIU lead stretched to 8-1.
 
MoState wasn't going down without a fight as Kenzie Derryberry and Studer each singled to start the sixth frame. After a fielder's choice got the runner at second, Merced drove in her second run of the day with an RBI double to right field. With just one out, Emily Gerardy hit a ball that was originally ruled an RBI ground out that scored another run for the Bears, but after a discussion it was ruled that she was out of the box on contact. The result of the play put two outs on the scoreboard and erased MoState's third run as the momentum shifted back to the Salukis following a fly out to end the inning.
 
SIU added an insurance run in the sixth on another leadoff home run as Missouri State went down in order in the seventh in the 9-2 loss.
 
Merced led the way with two hits, consisting of a double and a triple, and she drove in both of MoState's runs on the afternoon. Studer also posted a two-hit day as the Bears got hits from six different players in the ballgame.
 
Missouri State is back at home this weekend as the Bears host Evansville from March 21-23 at Meador Park in Springfield.