Recap | Salukis Hit Seven Homers to Outslug Valparaiso, 13-11, in Back-and-Forth Opener

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Oct 17

2 PM

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Eastern Illinois University

Oct 24

2 PM

Baseball

Central Methodist University

VALPARAISO, Ind. – Southern Illinois used a season-high seven home runs and a relentless offensive attack to outlast Valparaiso, 13-11, in a wild series opener Thursday afternoon at Emory G. Bauer Field.

The Salukis (37-16, 16-9 MVC) pounded out a season-high 19 hits, including two home runs from senior center fielder Jordan Bach and another from Matt Schark, who drove in his 79th run of the season. SIU scored in seven of the nine innings and pulled away with a six-run sixth to take control.

Bach homered to center in the first and fifth innings, giving him 13 long balls on the year, while Schark's solo blast in the sixth was his 24th of the season and extended his team-best RBI total. Kaleb Hall, John Lemm, Michael Mylott and Jaxon Holder also joined the home run parade, giving Southern Illinois its highest single-game homer total since 2023.

Lemm and Petrucelli both finished with three hits, while Mylott collected two hits, including a double in the ninth before he came around to score. Holder added two hits, including his fifth home run of the season, and Bach reached base three times with a pair of RBIs.

Despite the offensive fireworks, SIU had to fend off multiple Valpo rallies. The Beacons (8-40, 2-23 MVC) kept pace with four home runs of their own, including a pair from leadoff hitter Kevin Denty, who finished with five RBIs. The hosts closed within two runs in the eighth on Denty's second three-run blast, but Sam Frizzi came on to record the final six outs for his eighth save of the season.

Gavan Wernsing (3-0) earned the win in relief, while starter Alec Nigut lasted four innings, allowing six runs on seven hits. Frizzi and Tanner Gerdes combined to hold Valpo to just one run over the final four frames.

Offensively, Southern racked up 10 extra-base hits and only left six runners on base. The Salukis' bullpen steadied things after a shaky start, allowing the offense to pull away despite Valparaiso's late rallies.

UP NEXT
The two squads return to the field on Friday at 1 p.m. CT for game two of the series. Catch the action on ESPN Plus or on the Varsity Network with Luke Martin calling the action.

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.

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