CARBONDALE, Ill. – Shaye Barton drove in two runs, including a squeeze bunt in the fifth inning, and Della Gher remained poise to collect her Missouri Valley Conference-leading seventh save of the season as Indiana State claimed a series-opening 5-2 win at Southern Illinois Friday afternoon at Charlotte West Stadium.
Barton's RBI single in the third broke open a 1-1 tie and gave Indiana State (19-18, 6-6) a lead that they would not relinquish throughout the rest of the game. But that was not for lack of effort out of Southern Illinois (21-16, 4-7) as the Salukis loaded the bases in the seventh before a double play and a fly out netted Gher's seventh save.