CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois put forth a pair of strong performances to sweep Tuesday's doubleheader against the University of Evansville softball team at Charlotte West Stadium.
 
Game 1 – Southern Illinois 9, UE 0
Tuesday's opener saw the Salukis open a 5-0 advantage before scoring four runs in the bottom of the 6^th to take a 9-0 win. Evansville had the first scoring opportunity of the afternoon. Jess Willsey reached on a 2-out double while Ashtyn Holbrook followed with a single. SIU starter Brooklyn Danielson was able to get a strikeout to end the threat. She was efficient from that point on, limiting UE to one hit in the final four innings.
 
SIU opened the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the 2^nd. With two runners on, Hayden Kurtz posted an RBI double to bring in the first run of the game. They scored another run on a Jordan Stewart groundout before the final run of the frame scored on an error. Stewart added a 2-run single in the next inning to solidify a 5-0 lead.
 
In the bottom of the 5^th, SIU threatened again as they loaded the bases with one out. Angela Valentine threw a runner out at home for the second out before Kate Ridgway forced a fly out to keep it a 5-0 game. Taylor Howe picked up the third UE hit of the game in the 6^th before SIU ended the game with four runs in the bottom of the frame. Emily Williams hit a 3-run walk-off home run.
 
Danielson allowed three hits in six innings to improve to 8-1 on the season. Ridgway allowed seven runs, six earned, in five innings.
 
Game 2 – Southern Illinois 8, UE 0
After being held scoreless in game one, the Purple Aces mustered up just one hit against Saluki starter Hailey Lucas in game two as SIU took an 8-0 win in five innings.
 
Southern Illinois plated two runs in the bottom of the 2^nd including a Hayden Kurtz RBI double. One inning later, Kurtz added a 2-run double to make it a 4-0 game. Niki Bode picked up a single in the top of the 4^th before the Salukis added two more runs in the bottom half of the frame.
 
Maliyah Wilkins reached on an error in the top of the 5^th as the Aces looked to get on the board, however, a groundout sent the game into the bottom of the frame. With two outs, Maleah Blomenkamp's 2- run single ended the game. SIU posted 11 hits in the game while UE finished with one.
 
Alexis Tucker suffered the loss allowing six runs, four earned, in 3 1/3 innings of work. Lucas threw the full five innings to take her sixth win of the season.
 
Evansville is off this weekend before returning home for a pair of midweek games on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.