Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
25-17, 11-5
Southern Illinois
16-24, 7-6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murray St. | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 11 | 0 |
| Southern Ill. | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
Jorge’s Grand Slam, Schutte’s Complete Game Power Racers to Run-Rule Win
4/24/2026 9:34:00 PM | Baseball
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Behind a grand slam off the bat of Kainen Jorge and a seven-inning complete game from Nic Schutte, the Racers topped Southern Illinois 13-1 in run-rule fashion Friday at Itchy Jones Stadium.
With the win, the Racers (25-17, 11-5 MVC) move to four straight MVC wins while maintaining their spot tied for first in the Missouri Valley Conference.
After a scoreless first inning, the Racers took control of the game and never surrendered the lead, powered by a Kainen Jorge grand slam in the second inning. Jorge ended his day 1-for-3 with five RBI and two walks. His five RBI mark set a new single-game career high for the senior.
"He got the big knock, and he has been seeing it great," head coach Dan Skirka said. "Obviously got the game-winning hit last Sunday, had a really good series in Chicago. We had a good game plan against their starter, he's a phenomenal pitcher. The guys getting on base for him and setting the table for that big knock, that was huge."
Nic Schutte had another strong outing on the mound, earning his second career complete game. Schutte went all seven innings today, allowing just one run on five hits alongside four strikeouts.
"Just to get out of here in seven innings and to use one arm, it sets you up, but it doesn't mean anything," Skirka said. "We have to get a good start again tomorrow. Hustedde will be ready to go, but you like where you're sitting with the bullpen."
The Murray State lineup saw strong production from the top of the order, with Connor Chisolm, Luke Mistone, and Kristofer Hokenson each logging two-hit days. Mistone and Hokenson added multi-RBI performances to the box score, with Mistone collecting three on the day.
How it Happened
The Racers established control early by exploding for five runs in the second inning. Following a leadoff single from Parker Airhart, Mistone opened the scoring with an RBI single to right center. Jorge then broke the game open with a grand slam to left center, plating three teammates and pushing the Murray State lead to five.
Murray State kept the pressure on in the middle frames, scoring three times in the fourth and once in the sixth. Hokenson widened the gap in the fourth with a two-RBI double down the right field line that scored Chisolm and Colby Ott.
Jorge followed with an RBI groundout to score Hokenson, bringing his total to five RBIs for the game. In the sixth, the Racers added another run as Mistone grounded out to plate Ott, who had reached earlier on a double.
A four-run seventh inning served as the final blow for the Racers, beginning with an RBI double from Conner Cunningham. After Cunningham scored on a wild pitch, Mistone capped his three-RBI night with a single that allowed two more runners to cross the plate. On the mound, Schutte was dominant as he earned his seventh win of the year. Schutte went the distance in a seven-inning complete game, limiting the opposition to just one run on five hits while recording four strikeouts to clinch the conference win.
The Racers will look to clinch the series win tomorrow in Carbondale, with first pitch slated for 3 p.m. central on ESPN+.,
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Schutte, Nic (7-3)
L: Andrew Evans (5-2)
Batting:
2B: Hokenson, Kristofer 1 ; Cunningham, Conner 1 ; Ott, Colby 1
HR: Jorge, Kainen 1
RBI: Mistone, Luke 3 ; Hokenson, Kristofer 2 ; Jorge, Kainen 5 ; Cunningham, Conner 1
SH: Slade, Jake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Chisolm, Connor 2 ; Mistone, Luke 1 ; Hokenson, Kristofer 2 ; Jorge, Kainen 2 ; Cunningham, Conner 1 ; Pena, Daylan 1 ; Airhart, Parker 2 ; Ott, Colby 2
SB: Mistone, Luke 1 ; Hokenson, Kristofer 1
HBP: Cunningham, Conner 1 ; Ott, Colby 1
Batting:
2B: Cecil Lofton 1
RBI: Kyle Mager 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cecil Lofton 1
