Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
13-21, 4-5
Evansville
13-20, 6-3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Ill. | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 19 | 0 |
| Evansville | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
Bats Explode in Baseball's 16-3 Win over Evansville
04/12/2026 | 10:32:00 | Baseball
The Purple Aces struck first in the second, but Henry Kufa and Tim Simay tallied back-to-back RBI doubles to score three runs in the third and take a 3-1 lead.
Blake Kimball came into the game for starter Meade Johnson in the bottom of the third, and hit a slight hiccup, eventually allowing two runners to score and tie the game at three.
After a scoreless fourth, the Salukis began an onslaught at the top of the fifth. Kyle Mager continued his big week with a two-run double to get the scoring started, but Evansville was on the brink of limiting the damage when they recorded out number two. Gabe Petrucelli hit an RBI single, then Kristian Sprawling doubled the lead with a three-run home run, his third of the season. Two pitches later, Mason Schwalbach lifted one over the right-field wall for his first home run of the year, a solo home run that gave SIU a 10-3 lead after five. It marked the first time SIU had hit back-to-back homers since Petrucelli and Cecil Lofton accomplished the feat on May 21, 2025.
Kimball settled in to keep UE scoreless in the middle innings, paving the way for Southern to continue stretching the lead.
Jackson Dibble added a sacrifice fly in the sixth and an RBI single in the eighth to put SIU up by nine.Â
Kimball handed the keys to Charlie Miller and Jackson Smith to close out the game, and the two shut out Evansville in the late stages.
Tim Simay cranked a three-run home run in the top of the ninth to give him four hits and five RBIs on the day, both career-highs in a Saluki uniform.
Sprawling and Mason Schwalbach were a dynamic duo at the bottom of the lineup, each collecting three hits and combining for four RBIs and runs scored.
Petrucelli gave the Salukis their 16th run of the game on a sacrifice fly.
Kimball earned the victory for SIU, leading a bullpen charge that blanked the Purple Aces in the final six innings of play.
UP NEXT
Southern returns home to host Arkansas State Tuesday night at Itchy Jones Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter 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: Kimball, Blake (2-1)
L: Kenton Deverman (1-4)
Batting:
2B: Flores, Jaden 1 ; Kufa, Henry 1 ; Simay, Tim 1 ; Mager, Kyle 1 ; Lofton, Cecil 1 ; Sprawling, Kristian 1
HR: Simay, Tim 1 ; Sprawling, Kristian 1 ; Schwalbach, Mason 1
RBI: Kufa, Henry 1 ; Simay, Tim 5 ; Mager, Kyle 2 ; Dibble, Jackson 2 ; Petrucelli, Gabe 2 ; Sprawling, Kristian 3 ; Schwalbach, Mason 1
SF: Dibble, Jackson 1 ; Petrucelli, Gabe 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Flores, Jaden 1 ; Kufa, Henry 4 ; Simay, Tim 2 ; Mager, Kyle 1 ; Habuda, Bryce 1 ; Lofton, Cecil 2 ; Petrucelli, Gabe 1 ; Sprawling, Kristian 2 ; Schwalbach, Mason 2
SB: Flores, Jaden 1 ; Petrucelli, Gabe 1
HBP: Kufa, Henry 1 ; Mager, Kyle 1 ; Sprawling, Kristian 1
Batting:
RBI: Ximi Baftiri 1 ; Harrison Taubert 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Charlie Longmeier 1 ; Reagan Reeder 1 ; Drew McConnell 1
HBP: Spike Magill 1 ; Reagan Reeder 1 ; Mason McCue 1
