TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Illinois State 15,
Eastern Illinois 4
@Indiana State 11,
Lindenwood 6
SIUE 9, @Southern Illinois 7
@#15 Ole Miss 17,
UT Martin 6
ILLINOIS STATE 15, EASTERN ILLINOIS 4
NORMAL, Ill. -Eastern Illinois scored four runs in the opening frame but was held scoreless the rest of the way. The Panthers dropped their final midweek game of the season 15-4. EIU falls to 28-18 (15-9 OVC), while ISU improves to 32-20 (13-11 MVC).
The Panthers' fiery start resulted in four 1st inning runs to hold an early lead. Brett Stanley led the scoring run with an infield single. Following a four-pitch walk to Chris Worcester, James Love singled through the right side to load the bases.
Mike O'Conor crushed a grand slam to left field, clearing the bases for the game's first four runs.
Unfortunately, EIU was held scoreless for the final six innings, collecting only five more hits on the night.
The Redbirds wasted no time taking control of the momentum, matching the Panthers' four runs in the 2nd inning. Illinois State never looked back, scoring four runs in the next two innings. ISU clinched an early victory in the bottom of the seventh inning with six runs to extend the lead to the ten-run rule.
On the mound, Mac Zawistoski suffered his first loss of the season, moving his record to 2-1. He allowed six runs on ten hits in 2.1 innings of work.
Eddie Scaccia struggled in relief, allowing four earned runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings of work.
For the Redbirds, Brayden Zilis moved his record to 1-1 after the win. Zilis struck out five Panther hitters, throwing four scoreless innings.
Offensively, O'Conor went 1-4, collecting his 14th home run of the season and first grand slam of the year.
James Love and Ethan Rossi picked up two hits, while Stanley and Quade Peters each had one hit.
INDIANA STATE 11, LINDENWOOD 6
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Lindenwood baseball team (28-24, 12-12 OVC) suffered an 11-6 loss at Indiana State (29-23, 14-7 MVC) to conclude their regular season non-conference schedule on Tuesday evening. The defeat drops the Lions' 2026 record against non-conference opponent to 16-12, including a 6-3 mark against the Missouri Valley.
The Lions managed just six hits in the game but drew seven walks. Will Geary led the Lions with three RBIs, with Kam Edwards and Tyler Ellis also driving in one run apiece.
Following an error that allowed the leadoff man to reach for Indiana State in the bottom of the first, the Sycamores took an early 2-0 lead with a Carter Beck two-run homer before adding another run with Emil Estrella tripling and scoring on a sacrifice fly.
Lindwood got one run back in the top of the second after Sam Driscoll singled and advanced all the way to third base on an error in right field before coming home to score on a Tyler Ellis sacrifice fly.
However, Indiana State answered right back in the bottom of the second with Colin Sander reaching on a fielder's choice before coming around to score on a Mason Roell two-out double to push the lead back to three.
The Sycamores threatened to extend the lead further the fifth, loading the bases with no outs following a pair of singles and a hit batter to lead off the frame. However, Braden Branigin was able to work out of the jam without allowing a run with a pop up and strikeout before completing the escape act with a ground out.
The Lions were unable to keep Indiana State out of the scoring column in the bottom of the sixth, though, with Weston Fulk leading the inning off with a double before moving to third on a ground out and beating a throw to home on a Colin Sander fielder's choice to make the score 5-1.
After a Nomar Garcia base hit put two runners on with one out, Mason Roell recorded his second double of the game to drive in two more runs, putting the Sycamores up six after six.
Lindenwood would mount a response in the top of the seventh, with Tyler Ellis and William Zareh drawing walks before a two-out base hit by Kam Edwards plated Ellis to make the score 7-2. With runners on the corners, Will Geary homered to right field to cut the deficit to just a pair. It was Geary's third home run in the last five games.
However, Indiana State used three base hits and three walks to match Lindenwood with four runs of their own in the home half of the frame, extending their lead back out to 11-5.
Following a scoreless eighth, Lindenwood loaded the bases with one out in the top of the ninth but were only able to score one run with Preston Wright coming home on a wild pitch to make the score 11-6.
SIUE 9, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 7
CARBONDALE, Ill. - SIUE baseball won its ninth consecutive game Tuesday, picking up a 9-7 win at SIU Carbondale. The nine-game winning streak is tied with Georgia for the longest active streak in the country.
The win was the first for the Cougars at Carbondale since the 1987 season. SIUE swept the season series from the Salukis and improved to 31-21 overall.
The Cougars return to Simmons Baseball Complex to face UT Martin for their final Ohio Valley Conference series of the season beginning Thursday. SIUE starts the weekend two games up in the OVC and needs just a single win to capture the program's first OVC Championship.
Tuesday, the Salukis (21-29) scored twice in the first inning thanks to a hit and a sacrifice fly. Joshua Heyder led off the second inning with a long home run to left, his 12th of the year.
Jacob McKenzie connected for a two-run home run in the third to extend the SIUC lead to 4-1.
The Cougars scored four times to take the lead for good in the fourth inning. SIUE opened the inning with four consecutive singles. Ethan Willoughby and Mack Mitchell each drove in runs. Cooper Eggert walked to load the bases and Jose Fichera tied the game with a groundout. Mitchell came home on a double steal attempt when Fichera was caught between first and second base to put the Cougars up 5-4.
Dawson Hargrove (0-2) gave up five runs over three innings in the start for the Salukis. He struck out three.
SIUE scored twice more in the fifth inning. Chase Bloomer singled with one out and then scored on a double by Ryan Niedwiedz that missed a home run by inches in right field. Heyder singled to send Niedwiedz to third and Willoughby drove him home with a single to right to make it 7-4. A groundout from Daniel Gierer in the sixth made it 8-4.
Gabriel Nutter (4-0) worked three scoreless innings in relief to earn the win. He gave up a single hit and struck out two.
The Salukis picked up a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly, but the Cougars immediately pulled it back in the eighth when Fichera scored on a wild pitch.
The Salukis scored twice and left two runners on when Porter Conn McKenzie to ground into a fielder's choice to end the game. Conn picked up his second save of the year with a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning.
SIUE outhit SIUC 12-9. Heyder finished with three hits including the home run. Willoughby was 2-4 and drove home two. Niedzwiedz and Bloomer each finished with two hits.
#15 OLE MISS 17, UT MARTIN 6
OXFORD, Miss. - Recap coming soon.