CARBONDALE, Ill. – Behind a pair of 2-run homers, Western Illinois (6-13) softball edged DePaul, 4-3 in the Saluki Invitational finale on Sunday (March 8).

Freshman Tori Boysen kicked off the scoring by unleashing her first collegiate homer, a 2-run shot to snag an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second.

The Blue Demons answered in the bottom of the third inning by putting runners on base and bringing them around via a passed ball followed by a groundout. The score remained 2-2 until Maranda Gutierrez put DePaul ahead on an RBI double to the gap in left-center.

Savannah Rodriguez helped her own cause with her third home run of the year; the 2-run bomb regained the Western advantage, 4-3.

Rodriguez (1-2) allowed two earned runs and struck out eight batters over 5.2 innings of work in a winning effort. Abby Carlin (1) shut the door over the remaining four outs with a pair of punch-outs.

Western Illinois travels next to Tulsa for a 5 p.m. first pitch against the Golden Hurricane on Wednesday (March 11).