Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's baseball team faced a tough challenge on Sunday, falling to Morehead State with a final score of 6-4 at Itchy Jones Stadium. The Salukis, now holding a record of 12-6, initially trailed by two runs after the first inning but managed to score an unearned run when Jordan Bach crossed home plate due to a throwing error.

Morehead State, improving their record to 8-10, extended their lead in the fourth inning with consecutive RBI doubles from Hayden Robbins and Griffin Olson. Southern Illinois responded in the fifth inning with a three-run rally that tied the game. John Lemm initiated the comeback with a solo home run, followed by Kaleb Hall's RBI single that brought Cecil Lofton home. Gabe Petrucelli then scored on a wild pitch, leveling the score at four.

The tie held until the seventh inning when Hunter Thomas hit a solo home run for Morehead State. Thomas further secured the Eagles' victory with another homer in the ninth inning, providing them with a two-run advantage.

Morehead State's bullpen effectively contained Southern Illinois over the last four innings. Josh Furtado earned his second win of the season by pitching two shutout innings without allowing any hits and striking out one batter. Will Grimmett achieved his first save of the season by delivering two additional scoreless innings and striking out two.

Meade Johnson was charged with the loss for Southern Illinois, surrendering five runs on seven hits over 6.1 innings while striking out seven batters but issuing five walks.

Offensively, Southern Illinois recorded eight hits during the game, highlighted by John Lemm's performance going 2-for-4. Meanwhile, Morehead State collected ten hits with Hunter Thomas leading their efforts by going 3-for-5 including two home runs and two RBIs.

Looking ahead, Southern Illinois will host Western Illinois on Tuesday at Itchy Jones Stadium with a scheduled start time of 6 p.m.

Fans can stay updated on Saluki baseball news through social media platforms such as X (@SIU_Baseball), Facebook (Facebook.com/SalukiBaseball), and Instagram (@SIU_Baseball). Additionally, updates are available via the "Salukis" Mobile App on both App Store and Google Play Store.