Southern Illinois University
Wichita St.
Baseball Splits Doubleheader With Wichita State
05/18/2002 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
May 18, 2002
Carbondale, Ill. - Ryan Murray went 3-for-4 and drove in both Southern Illinois University runs, while Jake Alley and Eric Haberer held Wichita State University, the top scoring team in the Missouri Valley Conference (8.24 runs per game), to one run in a 2-1 win in game two of a doubleheader. The game two win earned SIU (31-22, 16-15 MVC) a split with the Shockers (41-12, 22-7 MVC) after losing game one 6-1 on Saturday at Eck Stadium.
"Jake Alley really competed today and Eric Haberer did a good job to pick him up in relief in game two to get the win. I thought we pitched well today, even in the loss in game one. We just couldn't get Ryan Welch a clutch hit with runners on and lost the first game by leaving 13 men on base," said Dan Callahan, Saluki head coach.
"I thought Ryan Murray was outstanding today, especially in game two. He went 3-for-4 and drove in both runs as well as making double plays in the eighth and ninth inning on great plays to seal the win. We played great defense, didn't make an error and beat a good team today. Murray led the charge defensively and offensively. I think this win will help us down the road."
In game two, SIU took the lead 1-0 with four singles in the second inning, the last by Murray, driving in Sal Frisella for the first Saluki lead in the series. Both teams threatened in the fourth inning but didn't score.
With the game still 1-0, Wichita State loaded the bases with two outs before Alley forced a popout to get out of the inning. In the sixth inning with two on, P.J. Finigan threw Logan Sorensen out at the plate to preserve the SIU lead.
In the seventh, Scott Hankey singled to lead off and two batters later, Murray singled in Luke Nelson, who was pinch running for Hankey, for a 2-0 lead. WSU singled in a run in the seventh to cut the lead to 2-1 off Alley before Haberer came in to get the final out on a grounder with two on base.
Murray made double plays on a lineout and a grounder in the last two innings and Haberer, the freshman reliever, struck out .400 plus hitter Brian Burgamy to pick up his fourth save and seal the win.
Alley (6-3) struck out six, walked five and allowed just four hits and one run in six and two third innings. Haberer struck out one and allowed three hits and no runs in two and a third innings of relief.
WSU's David Sanders (5-3) picked up the loss after allowing two runs, ten hits and a walk, while striking out four.
Murray, Cory Newman (2-for-3), Frisella (2-for-4, run) and Hankey (1-for-2, run) led the Salukis.
In game one, SIU's Ryan Welch (5-3) gave up single runs in the first, third and fifth innings and three runs in the sixth inning on just eight total hits in a 6-1 loss. Welch struck out four and walked four while allowing six runs. WSU's Adam Peterson (7-3) picked up the win with four innings in the seven inning game, allowing four hits, a run and five walks with three strikeouts.
SIU left 13 runners on base, including at least one in each inning and left the bases loaded in the first and fifth innings without scoring a run. Greg Andrews drove in the lone run on a ground ball in the third to tie the lead at 1-1, but SIU couldn't score again. Jeff Stanek went 2-for-2 to lead SIU.
Southern Illinois will wrap up the series with a single game at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kans.
