Wednesday, March 26
Carbondale, IL
6 PM
Southern Illinois University
17-7
10
vs
0
UT Martin
10-15
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
UT Martin
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
1
Southern Illinois
1
0
1
2
4
2
X
10
8
0
Photo by: Abby Harris
Recap | Salukis Run-Rule UT Martin, 10-0 to Sweep Midweek Series; Holguin Dominant in Start
03/26/2025 | 8:57:00 | Baseball
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois baseball dominated in every facet of the game Wednesday night, shutting out UT Martin 10-0 in seven innings at Itchy Jones Stadium to earn the midweek sweep of the Skyhawks.
Senior infielder Matt Schark set the tone early, launching a solo home run to left center in the first inning to give SIU an early lead. The Salukis (17-7) then extended their advantage in the third when John Lemm delivered an RBI single up the middle, scoring Gabe Petrucelli to make it 2-0.
The momentum carried into the fourth inning as SIU capitalized on scoring opportunities. With the bases loaded, Schark came through again, lining a two-run single to left field to push the lead to 4-0. The Salukis continued to apply pressure, and by the end of the inning, they had UT Martin's pitching staff on its heels.
Southern Illinois delivered the biggest blow in the fifth when Jaxon Holder stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. The outfielder crushed his third home run of the season -- a grand slam over the right-field fence, clearing the bases and blowing the game wide open at 8-0.
The Salukis tacked on two more runs in the sixth when Tate Lewis recorded a pinch-hit single to right field, driving in two more to extend the lead to 10-0.
Al Holguin (2-0) was nearly unhittable in his start, tossing four scoreless innings while striking out eight. The lefty allowed just two hits and worked around a pair of walks to keep the Skyhawks off the board. Relievers Matt Irvine and Tanner Gerdes combined for three shutout innings to complete the four-hit shutout. Irvine retired all six batters he faced in two innings of work, while Gerdes worked a clean seventh, striking out two.
SIU's offense was efficient, scoring 10 runs on eight hits while drawing six walks. Schark led the way, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Holder's grand slam was the highlight of the night. Lemm also contributed a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
UT Martin's pitching staff struggled throughout, with starter Wager (2-3) taking the loss after allowing one run over two innings. The Skyhawks (10-15) managed just four hits, with first baseman Matt Bell leading the way, going 2-for-3 with a double.
UP NEXT
The Salukis hit the road for a three-game series with Bradley starting on Friday. All three games will be streamed on ESPN Plus.
FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on X at @SIU_Baseball, on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiBaseball, and on Instagram at @SIU_Baseball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
Senior infielder Matt Schark set the tone early, launching a solo home run to left center in the first inning to give SIU an early lead. The Salukis (17-7) then extended their advantage in the third when John Lemm delivered an RBI single up the middle, scoring Gabe Petrucelli to make it 2-0.
The momentum carried into the fourth inning as SIU capitalized on scoring opportunities. With the bases loaded, Schark came through again, lining a two-run single to left field to push the lead to 4-0. The Salukis continued to apply pressure, and by the end of the inning, they had UT Martin's pitching staff on its heels.
Southern Illinois delivered the biggest blow in the fifth when Jaxon Holder stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. The outfielder crushed his third home run of the season -- a grand slam over the right-field fence, clearing the bases and blowing the game wide open at 8-0.
The Salukis tacked on two more runs in the sixth when Tate Lewis recorded a pinch-hit single to right field, driving in two more to extend the lead to 10-0.
Al Holguin (2-0) was nearly unhittable in his start, tossing four scoreless innings while striking out eight. The lefty allowed just two hits and worked around a pair of walks to keep the Skyhawks off the board. Relievers Matt Irvine and Tanner Gerdes combined for three shutout innings to complete the four-hit shutout. Irvine retired all six batters he faced in two innings of work, while Gerdes worked a clean seventh, striking out two.
SIU's offense was efficient, scoring 10 runs on eight hits while drawing six walks. Schark led the way, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Holder's grand slam was the highlight of the night. Lemm also contributed a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
UT Martin's pitching staff struggled throughout, with starter Wager (2-3) taking the loss after allowing one run over two innings. The Skyhawks (10-15) managed just four hits, with first baseman Matt Bell leading the way, going 2-for-3 with a double.
UP NEXT
The Salukis hit the road for a three-game series with Bradley starting on Friday. All three games will be streamed on ESPN Plus.
FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on X at @SIU_Baseball, on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiBaseball, and on Instagram at @SIU_Baseball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Holguin, Al (2-0)
L: WAGER (2-3)
Batting:
2B: BELL 1
Base Running:
HBP: CAPPS 1
Batting:
3B: Petrucelli, Gabe 1
HR: Schark, Matt 1 ; Holder, Jaxon 1
RBI: Schark, Matt 3 ; Lemm, John 1 ; Lewis, Tate 2 ; Holder, Jaxon 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Schark, Matt 1 ; Petrucelli, Gabe 1 ; Lemm, John 2 ; Lofton, Cecil 1 ; Simay, Tim 1 ; Schwalbach, Mason 1 ; Mylott, Michael 1 ; Holder, Jaxon 2
SB: Schark, Matt 1 ; Lemm, John 1 ; Simay, Tim 1
HBP: Schwalbach, Mason 1 ; Mylott, Michael 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
OF/INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballInside Saluki Athletics - September 9th
Friday, September 12
9.10.25 | Saluki Radio Football Podcast - UT Martin
Wednesday, September 10
9.9.25 | Coach Nick Hill Weekly Press Conference
Tuesday, September 09
9.7.25 | Saluki Radio Postgame Purdue- Vinson Davis and Andrew Behm
Sunday, September 07