Southern Illinoise University Athletics

Mason Schwalbach
Photo by: Dave Winder
SIU falls 1–0 to Oral Roberts, series tied at one apiece
02/14/2026 | 6:39:00 | Baseball
TULSA, Okla. — Southern Illinois was held scoreless Saturday afternoon, falling to Oral Roberts 1–0 in the second game of the three-game series at J.L. Johnson Stadium. The loss evens the series after SIU took the opener Friday.
It was a tightly played game throughout, with pitching dominating on both sides. Oral Roberts pushed across the game's only run in the sixth inning and made it stand.
The Salukis were limited to four hits. Kye Watson finished 1-for-3, while Cecil Lofton, Kristian Sprawling, and Jaden Flores each added a hit. Flores singled in the fifth inning, and SIU put together traffic on the bases in that frame, but the Salukis were unable to bring a run home.
Julio Guerrero went 0-for-3, Matthew Simay finished 0-for-4, and Kaleb Hall was 0-for-4 as SIU struggled to string together offense against Oral Roberts pitching. Gabe Petrucelli drew a walk, and Jacob McKenzie and Henry Kufa also saw time in the lineup.
On the mound, Meade Johnson gave SIU a strong start, working through the early innings and keeping Oral Roberts off the board. Troy Shepard followed in relief and allowed just one run while keeping the Salukis within a run late. SIU pitching combined to hold Oral Roberts to two hits in the game.
Defensively, SIU turned in a solid effort behind its pitching staff, allowing just one error and keeping the game within reach into the ninth.
Oral Roberts finished with one run on two hits and one error.
UP NEXT
With the series now tied at one game apiece, SIU and Oral Roberts will meet Sunday in Tulsa to decide the series.
FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by visiting SIUSalukis.com as well as following the team on X at @SIU_Basketball, Instagram at @SIU_Basketball, and Facebook at Facebook.com/SIUBasketball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" mobile app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
With the series now tied at one game apiece, SIU and Oral Roberts will meet Sunday in Tulsa to decide the series.
FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by visiting SIUSalukis.com as well as following the team on X at @SIU_Basketball, Instagram at @SIU_Basketball, and Facebook at Facebook.com/SIUBasketball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" mobile app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: J. Hill (1-0)
L: Shepard, Troy (0-1)
S: M. Thornton (1)

Base Running:
SB: Guerrero, Julio 1
CS: Guerrero, Julio 1 ; Petrucelli, Gabe 1
HBP: Petrucelli, Gabe 1

Batting:
2B: M. Tanaka 1
RBI: K. Campbell 1
Base Running:
RUNS: C. Combs 1
HBP: L. Williams 1
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