JACKSON, Miss. – The SIUE softball team split a pair of games during the second day of competition at the Jackson State Tournament Saturday, defeating Southeastern Louisiana but falling to host Jackson State.

In the first game of the day, SIUE defeated Southeastern Louisiana by a score of 5-3, the Cougars' second win in as many days over the Lady Lions.

The Cougars (3-10) took a 3-2 lead in the third inning, with Haley Chambers, Rebecca Gray, and Jordan LaFave all crossing the plate for SIUE.

After Southeastern Louisiana (2-5) tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the third, SIUE responded with runs in both the fifth and sixth inning.

Allison Smiley, coming off the first home run of her SIUE career Friday night, knocked an RBI single up the middle to score Chelsea Yankolovich in the fifth to give the Cougars a 4-3 advantage. 

Chambers would add an insurance run in the sixth, delivering an RBI double that plated Rachel Keller.

"You're always happy when you're able to come back, but the key is not getting yourself down in the first place," Head Coach Sandy Montgomery said.  "We need to be more aggressive and composed.  We've been settling for average play and playing to the level of our opponent."

Chambers was also effective in the circle against Southeastern Louisiana, picking up her second win of the season behind a complete-game performance that featured six strikeouts.  The reigning OVC Freshman of the Year allowed just one earned run on four hits.

Later in the day, SIUE suffered a 4-3 defeat at the hands of tournament host Jackson State (5-7).

"I was disappointed with how we played (against Jackson State)," Montgomery said.  "We gave it away and we weren't focused.  We have to be more prepared to play."

The Cougars capitalized on a pair of JSU errors to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, with Yankolovich, LaFave, and Alex McDavid each scoring a run.

"Alex is starting to swing the bat better, and she also played outstanding defense today," Montgomery said.

The Tigers would come right back, scoring three runs of their own in the bottom half of the fourth to tie the score at 3-3 before scoring the decisive fourth run in the fifth inning.

SIUE will play its fifth and final game of the weekend when they take on Kansas Sunday at 10 a.m.  The two teams have played once already this weekend, with the Jayhawks defeating the Cougars 4-3 in 10 innings Friday.

"Hopefully we approach this next game with a chip on our shoulder," Montgomery added.  "The first game was a one-run game that we shouldn't have let slip away.  Winning close games is something we have to be better at."