PEORIA, Ill. -- Southern Illinois capitalized on five Bradley errors and SIU's Katie Wilson broke open a 1-1 game in the top of the fifth with a grand slam to help the Salukis to an 8-2 win Saturday afternoon at Laura Bradley Park.  Bradley fell to 11-18 overall and 2-6 in the Valley, while Southern Illinois swept the series from the Braves to improve to 24-12 overall and 9-1 in league action.

BU's five errors on the day helped lead to six unearned for the Salukis.  SIU benefitted from a pair of Bradley errors in the top of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead.  SIU had a runner on third with one out after a walk and BU error, when Alicia Garza drove in Haley Gorman from third with a single to center.

Bradley left two runners on base in each of the first four innings and stranded 11 runners overall in the contest.  Senior Lauren Meister (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) got the Braves on the scoreboard in the second inning after opening the frame with a single up the middle.  Senior Janay Mitchell (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South) followed with a bunt single and BU had runners at second and third after a sacrifice bunt.  Meister beat a throw home when senior Lindsay Watkins (Hopedale, Ill./Olympia/Parkland) bunted into a fielder's choice to tie the game at 1-1.

The Braves had runners at second and third when Mitchell was thrown out at the plate on a similar play following an Amanda Clack (Hillsboro, Mo./Hillsboro) bunt and Saluki starter Brittney Lang retired the next batter to get out of the jam.

Bradley threatened to take the lead in the bottom of the third after Brittany Fairbairn (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East/Kankakee) singled and junior Kate Singler (Witt, Ill./Nokomis/Heartland) was hit by a pitch to open the inning and chase Lang from the circle.  Danielle Glosson, the winning in pitcher in both of Saturday's contests, relieved Lang and retired the next three batters as the teams went to the fourth inning tied at 1-1.  Glosson pitched out of another jam in the fourth as Bradley left two runners on. 

Clack took a one-hitter into the top of the fifth when another pair of BU errors would help the Salukis blow the game open.  A one-out walk was followed by a wild pitch and a Bradley error.  Mallory Duran grounded out for the second out of the inning, but Garza drew a base on balls to load the bases.  Wilson followed with her third home run of the series, belting a home run to left center to give SIU a 5-1 lead.  All four runs in the inning were unearned.

The Salukis added two more runs in the sixth inning to push the lead to 7-1.  With runners at first and third, Gorman singled through the right side to plate one run and SIU added another run on a sacrifice fly.

Mitchell led off the bottom of the sixth inning with her first home run since her freshman year to cut the SIU advantage to 7-2, but Bradley left two more runners on base in the inning.

Natalee Wissinger answered Mitchell's homer with one of her own to open the top of the seventh for Southern Illinois as the Salukis took an 8-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh.

Bradley came up empty in the seventh after Singler led off the inning with a single and the Salukis completed the series sweep with an 8-2 victory.  Glosson picked up the win in relief, giving up three hits and one run in five innings as she improved to 14-8 on the year.  Clack suffered the loss for Bradley, scattering five hits over five and two-third innings.  SIU scored seven runs against Clack, but only one was earned.  She struck out six in the loss as she fell to 7-4 on the season.

Mitchell went 2-for-4 with one run scored and an RBI and Fairbairn also went 2-for-4 at the plate Saturday.  Fairbairn paced Bradley offensively in the series, going 5-for-10 with a double and two RBI in the three games.

The Braves will face Western Illinois Monday at 4 p.m. in Macomb, Ill., in the final non-conference road game of the season.