Itchy Jones Stadium | Southern Illinois University Athletics
Itchy Jones Stadium | Southern Illinois University Athletics
Southern Illinois faced a narrow defeat in their baseball match against Texas Rio Grande Valley, with the final score standing at 3-2. The game took place in Edinburg, Texas, where Southern Illinois' attempt to equalize fell short despite putting the tying run on second base in the ninth inning.
The Salukis initiated the scoring with Jordan Bach's RBI single bringing Cecil Lofton home. However, a fielding error allowed the Vaqueros to score three runs in the fourth inning. Hank Warren tied the game with an RBI single, followed by Jacob Sanchez adding two more runs.
Meade Johnson, making his debut for Southern Illinois, was replaced before the game-tying single after pitching 3.2 innings without allowing an earned run. He gave up two hits and struck out five.
Throughout the game, Southern had runners on base but failed to convert these opportunities into runs until John Lemm hit a solo home run in the ninth inning. This brought them within one run of their opponents. Despite further efforts from Mason Schwalbach and Michael Mylott to get on base, Cecil Lofton's long fly ball that could have changed the game's outcome was ruled foul upon review.
Harrison Thayer of Texas Rio Grande Valley secured the win as a reliever by not allowing any runs over four innings. Steven Oliva closed out the game with a save.
Southern Illinois is set to face Tennessee Tech in their next series starting Friday, February 21.