CARBONDALE, Ill. – Senior Connor Charping extended his hitting streak into double-digits with knocks in both games, and had a trio of stolen bases as Western Michigan dropped both ends of its doubleheader at Southern Illinois on Sunday, 7-0 and 12-2.   
 
FINAL SCORE (G1): Southern Illinois 7, Western Michigan 0 (F/7)
LOCATION: Itchy Jones Stadium (Carbondale, Ill.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (2-10) | Southern Illinois (12-3)   
W: Noah Farmer (3-0) | L: Jack Huisman (0-3)
 
FINAL SCORE (G2): Southern Illinois 12, Western Michigan 2 (F/8)
LOCATION: Itchy Jones Stadium (Carbondale, Ill.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (2-11) | Southern Illinois (13-3)   
W: Mike Hansell (3-0) | L: Joe Shapiro (0-2)
 
Charping had a knock in each game on Sunday to extend his hitting streak to 11 in a row, and his on-base streak to 23, dating back to the end of the 2021 season. The senior also swiped three bases for the day, increasing his league-leading total to 10. For his career, Charping has 52 steals, which places him third in Western Michigan program history.
 
Jimmy Allen collected two hits in game one for the Broncos, while Cade Sullivan picked up a knock in both contests.
 
Despite several baserunners on both sides in the early innings, game one remained scoreless until Southern Illinois broke the deadlock with a solo home run to begin the bottom of the fourth. The Salukis added another tally later in the frame to make it 2-0.
 
After stranding a two-out double in the Western Michigan fifth, SIU pushed across two more in the home half to extend its edge to 4-0, and then put the game beyond reach with a three-run sixth.
 
Southern Illinois broke the ice with a first-inning run in game two, but the Broncos came right back in the top of the second, as Dylan Nevar plated Allen with an RBI double.
 
In the home half, a grand slam gave the Salukis a 5-1 advantage. With SIU ahead 7-1 in the sixth, Charping stole home to make it 7-2. Southern Illinois responded with a run in the home half, and then plated four runs over the final two innings to seal the victory.
 
Western Michigan returns to Kalamazoo for its home and Mid-American Conference opener on Friday afternoon against Toledo. First pitch at Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field is slated for 3:05 pm.