Southern Illinois University
37-17, 0
Valparaiso
9-40, 0
Recap | Valpo runs away, Southern drops key second game
05/16/2025 | 4:41:00 | Baseball
After an early back-and-forth slugfest between the two teams, Valpo reliever (9-40, 4-22 MVC) Lucas Foley faced the minimum three scoreless innings and set the table for his team to reach a 10-run advantage by the eighth inning.
A five-run first from the Beacons forced Saluki starter Jackson Payne out of the game, and put immediate pressure on Southern's (37-17, 16-10 MVC) bullpen.
Michael Mylott tallied his first RBI with a single in the second, but Valpo added two more in the second to put the Salukis in a deep hole.
As they have done all season, Southern put up a crooked number when they needed it most, starting with a six-run top of the third. Jaxon Holder had one of his two RBIs in the inning on a solo homer to lead off the frame. Kaleb Hall's RBI groundout was the second out of the inning, but it would only be the beginning of SIU's offensive explosion. Tim Simay hit an RBI single, and Gabe Petrucelli and Michael Mylott hit back-to-back home runs tying the game at seven. Matthew Simay then ripped a double to right center, and was brought home by Holder, and just like that the Salukis held a one-run lead.
With the help of Southern's defense, Valparaiso took the lead back in the bottom of the fourth. Four Saluki errors in four innings accentuated an already taxing day on the pitching staff.
Down 12-8 entering the fifth, Tim Simay cranked his fifth home run of the season to center, sparking another SIU rally. Holder and Bach would each collect two-out RBIs, and the deficit was quickly cut to one. Then with two on, two out, and a full count, John Lemm came up clutch with a booming three-run homer, and Southern retook, the lead, this time by a score of 14-12.
Given the predicted strain on the bullpen, Valpo starter Connor Lockwood (W, 3-8) stayed in the game through five innings the volume of runs, a feat that would earn him the win after his team took the lead in the bottom of the fifth and never trailed afterward. Foley's stellar effort earned him his first save of the season.
Holder went 3-for-4 with a home run, double and three RBIs out of the nine spot for SIU. Tyler Timmerman (L, 5-3) took the loss.
UP NEXT
Southern will look to end its regular season on a high note in Saturday's rubber match scheduled for 1 p.m. CT. 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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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lockwood, Connor (3-8)
L: Tyler Timmerman (5-3)
S: Foley, Lucas (1)
Batting:
2B: John Lemm 1 ; Matthew Simay 1 ; Jaxon Holder 1
HR: John Lemm 1 ; Tim Simay 1 ; Gabe Petrucelli 1 ; Michael Mylott 1 ; Jaxon Holder 1
RBI: Jordan Bach 1 ; John Lemm 3 ; Kaleb Hall 1 ; Tim Simay 2 ; Gabe Petrucelli 2 ; Michael Mylott 2 ; Jaxon Holder 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Jordan Bach 2 ; Matt Schark 1 ; John Lemm 2 ; Tim Simay 3 ; Gabe Petrucelli 2 ; Michael Mylott 1 ; Matthew Simay 1 ; Jaxon Holder 2
SB: Kaleb Hall 1 ; Jaxon Holder 1
CS: Matthew Simay 1
HBP: Matthew Simay 1
Batting:
2B: Denty, Kevin 1 ; Cooper, Thomas 1 ; Patton, Liam 1 ; Sullivan, Case 2 ; Ilitch, Patrick 1
HR: Sullivan, Case 1 ; Warfield, Spencer 1
RBI: Denty, Kevin 3 ; Cooper, Thomas 1 ; Patton, Liam 1 ; Giusti, Connor 3 ; Sullivan, Case 6 ; Ilitch, Patrick 1 ; Hatch, Bryan 1 ; Reinertson, Kade 2 ; Warfield, Spencer 4
SF: Sullivan, Case 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Denty, Kevin 2 ; Cooper, Thomas 4 ; Patton, Liam 3 ; Giusti, Connor 3 ; Sullivan, Case 4 ; Ilitch, Patrick 3 ; Hatch, Bryan 2 ; Reinertson, Kade 2 ; Warfield, Spencer 1
SB: Cooper, Thomas 1
HBP: Cooper, Thomas 1 ; Giusti, Connor 1 ; Warfield, Spencer 1
