The Southern Illinois Salukis opened the 2026 MVC Baseball Championship with an 8‑4 victory over the Evansville Purple Aces on Thursday night, after a six‑hour weather delay pushed the first pitch into the early evening.
The game swung early when Reid Haire launched a two‑run homer in the third inning, giving Evansville a 2‑1 lead, but Southern Illinois answered in the fourth as Mason Schwalbach crushed a three‑run blast that flipped the score to 4‑2.
The Salukis then pulled away in the fifth, plating three more runs on RBI singles from Gabe Petrucelli and Tim Simay, stretching the lead to 7‑2, and Schwalbach added a double in the sixth before scoring on Kye Watson’s RBI single to make it 8‑2.
Starter Andrew Evans was masterful, striking out ten batters over six innings and limiting the Aces to just two runs, while Watson finished 2‑for‑3 with two runs scored and an RBI, and Julio Guerrero contributed three hits.
Evansville mounted a late rally in the seventh, with Reagan Reeder and Cooper Rhodes delivering RBI hits that trimmed the deficit to 8‑4, but the Salukis’ defense held, preserving the win despite out‑hitting the Aces 12‑10.
Key Performances and Outlook
Looking ahead, Southern Illinois will meet top‑seeded UIC at 1:45 p.m. CT on Thursday, while Evansville faces No. 6 Illinois State in an elimination game at 10 a.m. CT, promising more high‑stakes baseball in the tournament.