Southern Illinois softball team downs Southeast Missouri State with walk-off double

The Southern Illinois softball team stoked the regional rivalry with Southeast Missouri State with a walk-off double that completed a 3-2 comeback victory Tuesday in Carbondale, Illinois.

Southeast led 2-0 after scoring runs in the first and fourth innings, but SIU (17-8) rallied with single runs in each of the final three innings.

Merri Anne Patterson stole home in the bottom of the fifth, and Shaye Harre tied the game with a solo home run in the sixth.

Patterson led off the bottom of the seventh with a four-pitch walk off losing pitcher Haley Thogmartin (4-6), was sacrificed to second and scored on Savannah Fisher's one-out double.

The Redhawks grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first on Sarah Messex's bases-loaded walk, and increased it to 2-0 with an unearned run in the fourth on Claire Wernig's RBI groundout.

Southeast outhit the Salukis 6-5 but stranded 11 runners. Wernig led the way with two hits.

Brianna Jones (13-3) allowed one hit over 1 1/3 innings of relief for the win.

Thogmartin relieved starter Madeline Krumrey, who allowed two hits and struck out two and walked three over the first five innings. Thogmartin allowed three hits, walked one and struck out one over 1 1/3 innings.

Harre also had a double for SIU.

Southeast (8-13) returns to action Friday when it hosts Belmont in an OVC doubleheader.