CARBONDALE, Ill. (Interstat) — Southern Illinois defeated Valparaiso 6-4 on Thursday afternoon at Abe Martin Field in a Missouri Valley Conference game that saw the Salukis overcome an early deficit and hold off a late Beacon rally.

The Salukis improved to 22-29, while Valparaiso fell to 11-36. The teams are scheduled to meet again Friday and Saturday in Carbondale.

Southern Illinois struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Julio Guerrero singled and later scored on an RBI single by Cecil Lofton. Jacob McKenzie, who had walked, came home on a fielder’s choice by Tim Simay, giving the Salukis a 2-0 lead.

Valparaiso answered in the top of the fourth. Louie Kegerreis doubled and scored on a single by Cal Schembra. After a walk and a single, Javin Gauthier doubled to left center, driving in two runs to tie the score at 4-4. The Beacons had tied the game with four runs in the inning, but Southern Illinois quickly regained the lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Kristian Sprawling walked and stole second, then scored on an RBI single by Kye Watson to put the Salukis ahead 5-4. Watson later added another key hit in the eighth inning, singling up the middle to score Mason Schwalbach and extend the lead to 6-4.

Valparaiso mounted a final threat in the top of the ninth. G. Bennett singled and advanced to third on a double by C. Sullivan. Michael Kuska then singled to left field, driving in both runners and cutting the deficit to 6-4. But Salukis reliever Meade Johnson struck out the next two batters to end the game.

Dylan Petrey was the top performer for Southern Illinois. The right-hander entered in the fourth inning and pitched 3 2/3 innings of one-hit relief, striking out three and allowing no earned runs. He earned the win. Andrew Evans also contributed three innings of scoreless relief, allowing three hits and striking out one.

For Valparaiso, Adam Guazzo started and pitched five innings, allowing four earned runs on no hits with one strikeout. Dylan Immel threw three innings, allowing one earned run on no hits with one strikeout. Offensively, Kuska went 2 for 5 with two RBIs, Schembra was 2 for 4 with an RBI, and Gauthier drove in one run. For the Salukis, Watson went 2 for 3 with two RBIs, Gabe Petrucelli was 2 for 4 with an RBI, and Lofton had a hit and an RBI.

The game featured 11 hits for each team. Southern Illinois took advantage of two Valparaiso errors, including a throwing error in the third inning that allowed an unearned run to score.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Southern Illinois 5, Valparaiso 2, and the ELO system gave the Salukis a 77.30 percent probability to win.