NORMAL, Ill. – Freshmen JT Sokolove and JP Gauthier showed flashes of their abilities in a tight 9-8 loss for the Illinois State baseball team against Missouri Valley Conference-leading Southern Illinois at Duffy Bass Field on Thursday evening.
Sokolove recorded a pair of hits with three RBIs, two runs scored, and a stolen base while Gauthier smacked two doubles and crossed the plate twice for the Redbirds (19-29 overall, 6-13 MVC).
Illinois State led 6-1 early but was unable to hold the lead.
Southern Illinois (39-13 overall, 15-4 MVC) clinched at least a share of the MVC title, its first since 1990.