Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's baseball team ended its postseason journey with a 10-5 loss to Murray State at Duffy Bass Field on Thursday night. The defeat eliminated the Salukis from the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Tournament, concluding their season with a 37-20 record.

Junior shortstop Tim Simay was a standout for the Salukis, delivering three hits, including a solo home run and an RBI double. Simay reached base four times and scored twice. Senior Cecil Lofton contributed with a two-run single in the third inning, while Jaxon Holder and Michael Mylott also added RBIs.

Murray State's offense proved too strong, as they amassed 17 hits. Center fielder Jonathan Hogart hit a three-run homer in the third inning, contributing to the Racers' four-run surge that broke open the game. They continued to build their lead with additional runs in subsequent innings.

Southern Illinois attempted to rally in the middle innings. Simay's fifth-inning double led to a run when Mylott brought him home on a sacrifice fly. Simay homered again in the seventh inning, followed by Lofton's score on Holder's single, narrowing Murray State's lead to 7-5. However, SIU failed to capitalize further, leaving runners stranded and going hitless in the final two innings.

On the pitching side, starter Al Holguin allowed five earned runs over 3.2 innings. Alec Nigut relieved Holguin but gave up three more runs before Sam Frizzi took over for the last five outs. Nigut was charged with the loss.

Despite collecting 11 hits and drawing six walks, Southern Illinois left 12 runners on base and missed key scoring opportunities throughout the game.

For Murray State, Hogart recorded three RBIs and three walks. Right fielder Dustin Mercer had four hits and an RBI, while left fielder Dan Tauken doubled twice and drove in two runs.

The Salukis' season ends after setting records for both program wins and MVC Tournament home runs during their opening-round loss to UIC. Senior Matt Schark tied Southern Illinois' all-time home run record with his career total of 36.

Fans can stay updated on Saluki baseball news via social media platforms such as X (@SIU_Baseball), Facebook (Facebook.com/SalukiBaseball), Instagram (@SIU_Baseball), or through the "Salukis" Mobile App available on app stores.