The Valparaiso Beacons delivered a 20-hit barrage that forced a tie in their series with Southern Illinois, setting the stage for a decisive finale.
Louie Kegerreis anchored the offense, finishing with six hits that included a leadoff double in the eighth and a two-run single in the ninth that pushed the lead.
Key Moments
Southern Illinois answered with a strong outing from Troy Shepard, who limited the Beacons to one run over three innings, while Blake Kimball kept the pressure off with middle-inning shutout work.
Connor Lockwood capped the Beacons’ pitching effort with a complete game, allowing just one run and striking out key Salukis batters.
Defensively, Cal Schembra made two spectacular diving catches that preserved early leads, while Kye Watson added an RBI double and Tim Simay contributed a single.
Gabe Petrucelli’s sacrifice fly and Alec Ammerman’s timely hitting added to the run support, as Ryan Halamicek took the loss for the Salukis.
The Beacons finished with their most hits of the season against SIU, a statistic that underscores the offensive explosion that swung the series momentum.