Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
UT Martin
Baseball Splits With Tennessee-Martin Saturday
05/04/2002 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
May 4, 2002
Carbondale, Ill. - Scott Hankey's two-RBI double in the seventh inning drove in the winning run in game two of Southern Illinois University's (27-18, 12-12 MVC) doubleheader with the University of Tennessee-Martin (15-29, 3-13 OVC) on Saturday at Abe Martin Field. SIU won game two 11-7 to split the doubleheader after losing game one 8-6 in ten innings.
"We hit the ball well in the second game and Luke Nelson was our best pitcher today and picked up a win in relief. We had five two-out hits that drove in six runs in the game we won," said Dan Callahan, Saluki head coach.
"They just outplayed us in the first game and we couldn't get the clutch hits when we needed them. We did get Jerel Deitering (out injured with a bad elbow for six weeks) in for the final out of the second game which is a big step for us as we wrap up the season."
Trailing 2-0 in game two, SIU scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on sacrifice flies by Jeff Stanek and P.J. Finigan and an error that allowed Justin Maurath to score.
UTM responded with four runs, three of which were unearned, in the fifth inning to retake the lead 6-3 and chase Saluki starter Ryan Welch. SIU cut the lead to 6-4 with a run in the fifth inning on a Maurath RBI single before UTM added their seventh run in the sixth inning for its final lead at 7-4.
The Salukis cut the lead to 7-6 in the sixth inning on another Finigan sacrifice fly and Sal Frisella's team-leading and career-high eighth home run, a deep blast to centerfield. That set the stage for Hankey in the seventh inning.
After two singles and a walk loaded the bases, Hankey singled with two outs to drive in the tying and winning runs for an 8-7 lead. Finigan added an RBI single to make the score 9-7 SIU. Southern added two more runs in the eighth inning behind an RBI single from Maurath and an RBI double by Stanek for the final 11-7 margin.
Nelson (5-4) pitched two and two third innings of scoreless relief with two strikeouts and one walk to earn the win. He allowed four hits. UTM starter Jason Venczel (0-8) remained winless after allowing nine SIU runs, five of them earned.
Maurath (4-for-5, 2 RBI, 3 runs), Cory Newman (3-for-5, 2 runs), Finigan (1-for-2, 3 RBI) and Stanek (1-for-3, 2 RBI, run) led SIU.
In game one, SIU jumped out to a 5-0 after four innings. The Salukis had four hits and a sacrifice fly to open the first inning and take a 3-0 lead. In the fourth, three straight singles ending with Greg Andrews' two RBI single made it 5-0 SIU.
SIU allowed six straight runs by UTM, four in the fifth and two in the seventh, to chase SIU ace Jake Alley and take a 6-5 lead after seven innings. The Salukis tied the game at 6-6 in the eighth inning on Hankey's sacrifice fly to force extra innings.
Andrew Weber (0-4) came on in the seventh for Alley and suffered the loss when UTM scored two runs on three hits, a hit batsmen and error in the tenth inning. Weber allowed two runs, one earned in two and a third innings of relief. UTM's T.J. Allen (5-7) picked up the win with three innings of scoreless relief.
Toby Barnett (2-for-4, RBI), Frisella (2-for-4, run), Stanek (2-for-5, run, RBI), Maurath (1-for-3, RBI, run) and Newman (2-for-6, run) led the Saluki offense.
The Salukis will host Indiana State in a crucial MVC series May 10-12 at Abe Martin Field.
