Recap | Salukis Drop Series Finale at Valparaiso, 8-5; Head to MVC Tournament Next

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Oct 17

2 PM

Baseball

Eastern Illinois University

Oct 24

2 PM

Baseball

Central Methodist University

VALPARAISO, Ind. – Southern Illinois saw a late lead slip away as Valparaiso used a four-run eighth inning to rally past the Salukis, 8-5, in the series finale Saturday at Emory G. Bauer Field.

The Salukis (37-18, 16-10 MVC) led 5-4 entering the bottom of the eighth, but the Beacons struck for five hits and four runs in the frame - including a game-turning three-run home run from center fielder Alex Warfield - to steal the series finale and secure the series win over SIU.

Kaleb Hall continued his hot stretch at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with three RBIs, including a solo home run in the fourth and a go-ahead single in the sixth. Hall also added a sacrifice fly, pushing his season RBI total to 39.

Southern put up three runs in the fifth to take its first lead of the game. Jaxon Holder and Jordan Bach reached with back-to-back singles before Matt Schark doubled into the left-center gap to score Holder. Sacrifice flies from Hall and Tim Simay plated two more runs to put the Salukis ahead 4-3.

Bach reached base three times with two walks, a single and two stolen bases, while Schark tallied two hits, including his 18th double of the year and 80th RBI of the season. Simay added two hits and an RBI. John Lemm extended his reached base streak to 33 games after drawing a pair of walks, securing the MVC record for reached base streak in conference action in the process.

On the mound, Southern used five arms in a staff day. Al Holguin started and worked two innings, allowing two runs. Blaine Harpenau, Cole Koonce and Sam Frizzi bridged the middle frames, with Frizzi (3-4) taking the loss after allowing the eighth-inning blast to Spencer Warfield.

Valparaiso (10-40, 3-24 MVC) opened the scoring with a solo homer from Mason Maka in the second and never trailed by more than one run until Warfield's eighth-inning swing flipped the game. Designated hitter Mathew Pigeon tripled and scored later in the inning, and a two-out RBI single from Nolan Reinertson made it 8-5.

The Salukis loaded the bases in the ninth after a leadoff single from Simay, a walk from Cecil Lofton and a hit-by-pitch, but pinch hitter Mason Schwalbach lined into a double play and Holder struck out to end the game. SIU left 13 runners on base.

UP NEXT
The Salukis head to the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Championship hosted by Illinois State next week. SIU secured the No. 3 seed in the tournament and will play UIC on Wednesday at 11 a.m.

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