CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois won its opening Missouri Valley Conference series with a 7-1 victory over the Drake University softball team on Sunday at Charlotte West Stadium.
 
SIU (20-3, 2-1 MVC) claimed its first series against Drake (5-15, 1-2 MVC) since 2017.  The teams split Saturday's doubleheader.
 
Sunday, the Salukis broke open a scoreless contest with a five-run, third-inning, piecing together three hits with two walks off the Bulldogs and capitalizing on a throwing error with two outs by senior pitcher Nicole Timmons that allowed three runs.
 
SIU added two more runs in the fourth as Timmons walked Jenny Jansen with two outs and then Katelyn Massa reached on an error by Drake left fielder, sophomore Delaney Taylor. Elizabeth Warwick took advantage as she lined a triple to left center that scored Jansen and Massa.
 
Sophomore Emily Valtman put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard in the sixth inning with her second home run in as many days. Valtman's solo shot was hit over the right field fence. Her second home run of the season was one of just four hits for Drake, which stranded five in the loss.
 
Freshman Emma Richards (1-5) started in the circle. Richards allowed five runs on five hits with four walks and one strikeout in 2.1 innings. Timmons finished the game and allowed two unearned runs on one hit with one walk and five strikeouts.
 
Senior Macy Johnson, who led the MVC in batting average coming into the weekend, collected one hit to extend her career-high hitting streak to 23 games.
 
Drake stays on the road at Missouri State March 27-28 for a three game MVC series. Following that series, the Bulldogs' home opener is March 30 against Iowa State at 4 p.m. at Buel Field.