Valpo Evens Series with Flurry of Base Hits, Six from Kegerreis

Friday, May 15

6 PM

Southern Illinois University

22-30, 13-10

Valparaiso

12-37, 5-18

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Valparaiso	1	0	0	0	0	1	4	0	3	9	20	0
Southern Ill.	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	4	11	1

Kye Watson goes through his pre-pitch routine during Southern Illinois' 9-4 loss to Valparaiso Friday, May 15, 2026, at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Ill.

Photo by: Saluki Athletic Communications

Valpo Evens Series with Flurry of Base Hits, Six from Kegerreis

05/15/2026 | 11:16:00 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Jordan Kruse, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Valparaiso Beacons chipped away at Southern Illinois' pitching staff with 20 hits to even the final regular season series of 2026 at one heading into Saturday's Senior Day. Louie Kegerreis was a thorn in Southern's side, tallying six hits.

Troy Shepard followed up Andrew Evans with another strong three-inning performance for Southern, allowing just one unearned run in the first.

Kye Watson and Tim Simay had an RBI double and single, respectively, to quickly give SIU the lead in the bottom of the first. Gabe Petrucelli brought Watson home with a sacrifice fly, putting SIU ahead 3-1 after one.

Shepard escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third and handed the ball to Blake Kimball for the middle innings. The Beacons put pressure on the Salukis the entire night, but Kimball held serve in innings four through six, surrendering just one run despite the constant traffic.

Watson brought in his fourth run of the weekend with an RBI single in the fifth, and his team led 4-2 heading to the seventh.

The dam finally broke in the top of the seventh, as the Beacons' barrage of singles finally paid off with four runs in the frame. Valpo scored its first six runs on 15 hits — all singles.

Louie Kegerreis' fifth hit was a leadoff double in the top of the eighth, his team's first extra-base hit of the game. Alec Ammerman kept the Beacons at bay, but the Saluki offense fell stagnant as Connor Lockwood and his pitch-to-contact approach kept Southern off the basepaths. He also received incredible defense, namely from Cal Schembra, who made two incredible diving catches during the game.

Kegerreis' sixth hit and two-run double in the ninth all but iced the game in the ninth. Schembra added Valpo's ninth run with an RBI double. The Beacons finished with 20 hits, the most SIU has given up this season.

Southern went down in order to end the game as Lockwood finished his fourth complete game of the season.

Ryan Halamicek (L, 0-2) took the loss for SIU.

UP NEXT
SIU will look to bounce back in Saturday's rubber match on Senior Day.

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