Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois faced Indiana State in a competitive baseball matchup Friday night at Bob Warn Field but ultimately fell short, losing the game 9-7. The Salukis made a commendable attempt to rally back from an early seven-run disadvantage but were unable to secure a victory.

The Sycamores quickly established a lead with two consecutive three-run innings, benefiting from both Southern Illinois' defensive errors and strategic hitting. SIU's starting pitcher, Tyler Timmerman, faced challenges early on, as he allowed five runs—of which three were unearned—during his brief one-inning outing.

Indiana State's early success included an RBI hit-by-pitch and a two-run single by Josue Taylor, enabling them to extend their lead. By the second inning, Indiana State capitalized on two Saluki errors to score three more unearned runs, advancing their lead to 6-0.

The Salukis responded by attempting a comeback in the sixth inning. Mason Schwalbach contributed with a run-scoring fielder’s choice, while Jaxon Holder hit a two-run double. Holder later scored on a wild pitch, narrowing the gap to two runs. Holder's overall performance featured one hit, two RBIs, and two walks, demonstrating his pivotal role in the lineup. Kaleb Hall and Gabe Petrucelli also contributed offensively with Hall securing two hits and Petrucelli landing a triple and scoring a run. Despite gathering ten hits throughout the game, Southern Illinois left nine runners stranded on base.

In the eighth inning, the Salukis brought the game to a one-run margin when Holder walked at the start of the frame, progressed to third base through Jordan Bach’s single, and eventually reached home on Matt Schark’s sacrifice fly. However, the Sycamores responded in the following half-inning with a squeeze bunt by Taylor, restoring a two-run cushion and finalizing the score at 9-7.

Max McEwen, pitching for Indiana State, earned the win after delivering 5.2 innings, in which he conceded six earned runs and struck out five players. Reliever Geremy Morris also performed notably, recording two scoreless innings to secure his second save of the season.

Despite the loss, Southern Illinois benefitted from proficient relief pitching from Matt Irvine, who contributed a scoreless inning, and Cole Koonce, who logged 3.2 innings with only two runs allowed and two strikeouts.

The two teams are set to face each other again Saturday, April 12, at 1 p.m. CT. The game will be available for viewing on ESPN Plus.