Kye Watson Hits RBI Triple for Southern Illinois Baseball

Southern Illinois University’s baseball team secured a 1-0 victory over Bradley University on April 18, 2026, in a tightly contested game decided by a single run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The winning run came when Kye Watson tripled down the right-field line with the bases loaded, driving in Mason Schwalbach to break a scoreless tie. Watson’s hit came on a 3-1 count after working the count full, ultimately lining the ball just inside the foul pole for a two-base hit that cleared the infield and rolled to the wall.

Schwalbach, who had reached base earlier in the inning via a walk, advanced to third on the play and scored standing up as Watson held at third base. The RBI triple was Watson’s first of the season and proved to be the only run Bradley’s pitching staff would allow all game.

Southern Illinois starter Jake Morrill delivered a strong performance on the mound, tossing seven scoreless innings while allowing only three hits and striking out eight batters. Morrill worked efficiently, throwing just 92 pitches over his outing and retiring 19 of the 21 batters he faced.

Bradley’s offense struggled to generate momentum against Morrill, stranding two runners in scoring position over the course of the game. The Braves managed only three hits total, all singles and were unable to advance a runner past second base until the eighth inning.

Relief pitcher Logan Hensley closed out the final two innings for Southern Illinois, inducing a groundout and a strikeout to seal the victory. Hensley faced just six batters in the eighth and ninth, throwing 21 pitches to preserve the shutout.

The win improves Southern Illinois’ record to 18-12 overall and 7-5 in Missouri Valley Conference play, while Bradley falls to 15-15 and 6-6 in league action. Both teams are scheduled to continue their series the following day, with Game 2 set for April 19 at 1 p.m. CT at Roy Lee Duffy Field in Carbondale, Illinois.