Southern Illinois University
Wichita St.
Baseball Beats Wichita State 4-3 In Season Finale
05/19/2002 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
May 19, 2002
Wichita, Kans. - Southern Illinois University's Greg Andrews and Cory Newman each hit solo home runs in the 14th inning and John Clem made an incredible over-the-head basket catch for the final out of SIU's (32-22, 17-15 MVC) 4-3 win over Wichita State University (42-14, 23-9 MVC) in the season finale for both teams.
"Those were two huge hits. We were asking for someone to step up and be a hero and those two did it when we needed it. I thought Greg Andews' home run would be enough, but we needed Cory Newman's home run to win the game," Dan Callahan, Saluki head coach stated.
"John Clem made one of the best plays I've ever seen in college baseball and P.J. Finigan played great defense and was fantastic on the mound. We had quite a few heroes today. Finigan, Clem, Ryan Murray, Andrews, Newman and Toby Barnett all played well. It was a total team effort and Barnett did a great job behind the plate today."
With the game tied 2-2 in the top of the 14th inning, Andrews and Newman hit solo shots off Shocker reliever Steve Haines to put SIU up 4-2, but Wichita State loaded the bases in the bottom of the 14th inning to put pressure on the Salukis and reliever P.J. Finigan in the final half inning.
After a strikeout to open the inning, Finigan walked the next two hitters, and Callahan relieved him with Jerel Deitering after 80 pitches. Deitering walked the first man he faced to load the bases and WSU's Randy Walter hit a sacrifice fly to score a run and cut the lead to 4-3. That's when Clem made his incredible play in foul territory on a fly ball by pinch-hitter Bryan Erstad to end the game.
Finigan (1-1) pitched a dominating, career-high six and two third innings of strong relief to earn his first college win. He started the game at shortstop before moving to pitcher in the seventh inning with two outs and forced a ground ball out to keep the game tied at 2-2. Finigan struck out six, walked two, allowed two hits and just one run in the 14th inning. Deitering picked up the last two outs for his first save in just his second outing in seven weeks.
SIU scored a single run in the third inning on two singles and an RBI double by Jeff Stanek to take the lead. The Salukis took a 2-0 lead when Andrews singled in Sal Frisella, who reached on a fielder's choice, and advanced on a throwing error in the sixth inning. The Shockers tied the game with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings before Finigan entered the game.
Starter Josh Joiner (5.1 inns.) and relievers Bryan Rueger (1.1), Finigan (6.2) and Deitering (.2) held the Valley's top offense (8.24 runs per game) to just six hits and three runs. WSU's Haines (0-3) suffered the loss by giving up two runs on two hits in two innings or work.
Andrews (3-for-6, HR, 2 RBI, run), Stanek (2-for-6, run) and Newman (HR, RBI) led SIU.
The game, SIU's longest of the season, clinched fourth place in the Missouri Valley Tournament and gave Southern a split with the Shockers for the first time in head coach Dan Callahan's eight years and the first time since 1990. Callahan finishes the season with a career-best 32 wins.
Southern Illinois will open the MVC Tournament on Wednesday, May 22 against Southwest Missouri State University at 11:00 a.m. at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kans. SIU lost three of four games to SMS in Springfield earlier this season. If SIU wins, they will play the Creighton/Indiana State winner on Thursday at 3 p.m. If the Salukis lose game one of the double-elimination tournament, SIU will play the winner of the Wichita State/Northern Iowa winner on Thursday at 7 p.m.
