Southern Illinois University
Bradley
Baseball Pastes Bradley, 10-2 in Series Opener
04/11/2003 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
April 11, 2003
Peoria, Ill. - Rotary Smith and Johnny Bench Award candidate Toby Barnett went 2-for-5 with one run scored, a triple, a home run and five RBI to lead Southern Illinois (18-13, 9-3) to a 10-2 pasting of Bradley (13-15, 4-7) earlier today at O'Brien Field. Barnett has now hit safely in 18 consecutive games.
SIU, who snapped a two-game losing streak, matched its 10-2 series-opening win against the Braves a year ago. And like today, the Salukis won that contest with ace right-hander Jake Alley on the mound.
In his eighth start, Alley (4-1) was remarkable on the hill once again. Pitching a shutout through seven innings of work, the native of Anna, Ill., struck out six batters for the third time this season. He also posted his third win in his last three starts, which have seen him give up a combined 18 hits, nine walks and three runs in 22 consecutive innings. Additionally, Alley has registered 17 strikeouts and just one earned run during that span.
With Alley coasting on the mound, all the SIU offense had to do was give him some run support, and it did, but not how you would have expected.
SIU scored four runs over the game's first four innings and not one of those came home on a hit, moreless a ball that went past third base.
An error and a fielder's choice SAC-bunt put Greg Andrews and Nathan Boldt on base in the top of the second. After a Josh Markle strikeout, Matt Brewer drew a walk to load the bases. BU starter Craig Hawkins then hit two of the Salukis' next three batters, and as a result, both Andrews and Boldt scored to give SIU a 2-0 lead.
BU appeared as if it would overcome the deficit in the bottom of the second, where it loaded the bases with no one out. Alley, however, struck out Ross Vandehey, and made what seemed to be the play of the day when he ran from the mound to finish off what was a rare 3-6-1 double play.
From that point on, the Dawgs were on cruise control. Holding a 4-0 lead after adding one more run in each of the third and fourth innings, Barnett ripped a two-RBI triple in the top of the sixth to blow the game wide open. The runs were SIU's first of the game that came home on a hit.
Still not finished, Barnett came up big again in the eighth. Following back-to-back singles by Nathan Emrick and Sal Frisella, the native of W. Kallaroo, Australia, smoked a three-run homer over the left field fence to extend the Salukis' lead to 10-0. Barnett's smash marked his team-leading seventh of the season.
BU would avoid the shutout in the bottom of the eighth when Ryan Kenny reached on an error, Ryan Sullivan doubled and Dan Puente walked to juice the bases. A Brad Canada walk and a single by Brian LaJeone then plated the runs, as SIU went on to the 10-2 win.
Hawkins (1-1) gave up seven hits and six runs, while striking out three, before suffering the loss for the Braves.
Offensively, SIU posted 13 hits to BU's eight. Nathan Boldt went a perfect 3-for-3 with a run scored to lead all Salukis. P.J. Finigan, Emrick, Barnett and Brewer followed with two hits apiece. SIU will resume its series against BU tomorrow in a 1 p.m., doubleheader.
