TEMPE, Ariz. -- The No. 15 national seed Sun Devil Softball defeated Southern Illinois, 7-4, following a back-and-forth battle through seven innings on the 2021 NCAA Tempe Regional opening day. In a stroke of postseason unpredictability and a rare sight for the Arizona desert, the two teams competed in the middle of a rainstorm at Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium on Thursday night.
ASU landed on the board first with a three-run first inning. The Sun Devils scored again in the second to extend the lead, 4-0. The momentum shifted to the Saluki's favor as they scored four runs over the next two innings to tie the game going into the fifth.