EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Juztyne Torres drove home three runs Saturday as SIUE softball grabbed game one of a three-game series with a 7-2 victory over Southern Indiana.

The two teams return Sunday for a noon doubleheader at Cougar Field. SIUE now stands at 20-24 overall and 11-8 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Southern Indiana dropped to 13-23 overall and 10-9 in the OVC.

Torres lifted the Cougars with a two-run single in SIUE's five-run fourth inning.  She added a sacrifice fly to close out the scoring in the sixth.

Avery Arwood went the distance for the Cougars, running her season record to 7-6. Kylie Witthaus suffered the loss in relief and is now 3-7 for the Screaming Eagles.

SIUE's five-run fourth came after Southern Indiana opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the fourth.

After Betsy Woodward walked, Jesslyn Stairs reached on a sacrifice bunt that was went off the glove of USI second baseman Sydney Long. USI starter Anna Kemp was then lifted from the contest and was replaced by Witthaus.

After Witthaus got a ground ball out, Aidyn Barrera hit the base to second, but Woodward avoided the tag at home to make it 2-1.

Kaylin Fahy drew a walk to load the bases. That allowed Torres to deliver her two-run single. Torres would move up to second as USI's defense tried to catch Fahy rounding third base.

Raegan Duncan drove home two more runs with a single to center field.

SIUE added two more runs in the sixth as Abby Harvell scored on a passed ball. Barrera also would score on the sacrifice fly from Torres.