CARBONDALE, Ill. – Western Illinois (5-13) softball dropped a pair of close, low scoring decisions against Southern Illinois, 3-1 and IUPUI, 2-0 on day two of the Saluki Invitational on Saturday (March 7).

Southern Illinois 3, Western Illinois 1

Meghan Henson teed off a solo shot in the top of the second inning to get the Leathernecks on the board first. Southern Illinois answered in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out triple to right field by Kyleigh Decker.

The score remained 1-1 until the bottom of the sixth frame when Ashley Wood placed a double into left field and Megan Brown brought Wood around on a double of her own. The Salukis held off the Leathernecks in the top of the seventh to claim a 3-1 decision.

Henson, Alyssa Ealy and Sydney Hollings each collected a pair of hits. Abby Carlin (2-5) struck out two over six innings of work in the circle as SIU scattered six hits off of the southpaw.

IUPUI 2, Western Illinois 0

Maddy Anderson (2-4) did not allow a hit over her first three innings in the circle. IUPUI took advantage of a Western error that allowed a pair of runs to come home with two down.

Anderson did not allow an earned run and only surrendered two runs across seven innings with five strikeouts. There were five combined hits in the contest, three for WIU and two for the Jaguars. The Leathernecks committed three errors.

Western Illinois will wrap up the Saluki Invitational at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday (March 8) against DePaul.