MONDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 8-0, @Arkansas State 4-4
Southern Illinois 10,
@Tennessee Tech 4
Little Rock 5, @ULM 3
EASTERN ILLINOIS 8-0, ARKANSAS STATE 4-4
JONESBORO, Ark. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team (3-3, 0-0 OVC) split their Monday doubleheader at Arkansas State (2-5, 0-0 Sun Belt) to secure their first series win of the 2025 season.
In game one, EIU extended their winning streak to three and clinched the series with an 8-4 victory in game one.
Anthony Solis moved to 2-0 on the season after giving up just three runs in five complete innings, with Dalton Boruff picking up the save after pitching the final four innings, allowing a single earned run on three hits with two strikeouts.
Luke Melton led the EIU offense, going 3-4 at the plate with three RBIs and a pair of runs scored, including a homer.
Like in Sunday's game, Arkansas State struck first, this time with two runs in the second inning on a Raul Torres sacrifice bunt and Kaden Amundson RBI single.
The Panthers got one back in the third inning with a Luke Melton lead off solo shot to left field before a Brett Stanley sacrifice fly in the fifth tied the game.
The Redwolves regained the lead briefly with a Cason Tollett RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, but with runners on second and third in the top of the sixth, a throwing error allowed Pierce Bauerle and Cade Zalewski to advance home and put the Panthers in front 4-3.
EIU doubled their runs scored in the seventh to provide some insurance, with Bauerle, Jake Ottensmeier, Melton, and Ethan Rossi each recording one RBI in the frame.
A-State scored their last run in the seventh when a Hunter Ryan RBI groundout scored Wil French, who had reached on a lead off triple.
ASU had two on and nobody out in the ninth, but Boruff retired the next three batters in order to secure the win for EIU and earn his first save of the season.
In game two, the Panthers struggled to get the bats going as they dropped the series finale 4-0, with the offense only recording three hits.
Tyler Kapraun (0-1) suffered the loss after giving up four runs on six hits with one strikeout through six innings.
After scoreless first and second innings, Arkansas State broke through for three runs in the third. The first score came on a Wil French RBI single that plated Amundson, who had reached on a lead off triple.
After the next two batters reached on bunt singles to load the bases, the Redwolves extended their lead with a Cross Jumper sac fly and Daedrick Cail RBI groundout before Kapraun was able to get out of the inning.
The last run of the ball game was a Kaden Amundson sacrifice bunt that scored Raul Torres in the fourth inning.
Bryce Riggs was inserted into the game in the seventh and pitched a pair of scoreless innings, but the Panthers were unable to put a rally together as the final seven EIU batters were retired in order.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 10, TENNESSEE TECH 4
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Another strong offensive performance lifted Southern Illinois past the Tennessee Tech baseball team in Monday's series finale, as the Salukis out-paced the purple and gold, 10-4, at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
Southern Illinois (3-3) wasted little time in making its mark on the contest, doubling down the left-field line to open the day and driving in the first run of the ball game with an RBI single up the middle. Tech (6-2) followed it up with a double play and another ground out, embarking on a run of three scoreless innings by the pitching staff.
With rookie starter Carter Casabella in control on the mound, the Golden Eagle bats looked to sophomore catcher Mack Whitcomb to get back in the contest. The slugger delivered with a lead-off long ball to right-center field, squaring the game at 1-1 with his third round-tripper of the season.
Pitching for both sides cruised into the fifth inning, where the Saluki bats broke out in style. SIU used four extra-base hits in the frame to plate four runs, pushing out to a 5-1 advantage.
The Cookeville crew battled back over the next two frames, with right fielder Luke Bragga kicking things off with a base knock to right field. The redshirt freshman's first career RBI cut the deficit to three in the bottom of the fifth.
Moving on to the sixth, the purple and gold went back to work by loading the bases with two walks and a single. Center fielder Nicho Jordan secured the team's third free pass of the inning to drive in another run before left fielder Landon Smelser pulled the Golden Eagles within one with a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Salukis took advantage of a miscue by the Tech defense with two outs in the top of the eighth, immediately gathering a two-run triple down the right-field line following the error. Southern Illinois doubled its three-run lead to six in the top of the ninth, picking up its third home run of the day with a three-run shot to right field.
For the second straight game, the Golden Eagle bats struggled to rack up hits, finishing the day with five off the Saluki staff. SIU piled up 12 knocks in the contest, including nine across its three big innings.
Whitcomb led the Tech offense with a 2-for-3 day, two runs, and an RBI. On the mound, Patrick Johnson turned in 1.2 innings out of the bullpen without allowing a run, fanning a pair of batters while scattering two hits. Juan Vargas surrendered just two, unearned runs in an otherwise solid 2.0 frames of relief, also striking out a pair.
LITTLE ROCK 5, ULM 3
MONROE, La. - Recap coming soon.