Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
Illinois St.
Baseball Splits with Illinois State
04/05/2003 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
April 5, 2003
Box Score | Game Two Box Score
Carbondale, Ill. - Sophomore left-hander Bryan Rueger pitched a complete game for the first time in his career to lead Southern Illinois (17-12, 8-3) to a 5-1 win over Illinois State (9-15, 3-8) earlier today in game one of a doubleheader at Abe Martin Field. The Redbirds bounced back with nine extra-base hits, including three home runs, to post a 10-6 win in the nightcap.
Rueger held ISU scoreless in six of his seven innings pitched, as he allowed just four hits, while striking out three. The native of Mt. Vernon, Ind., also moved to a perfect 3-0 this season.
In his solid seven-inning performance three of Rueger's four hits came during the third and fourth innings, where the Redbirds ended up leaving four runners on base.
Despite the runners stranded on the basepaths, ISU used a Jeremy Accardo double and a Jeremy Pickrel single to put a runner on third with one out in third. Accardo would later score on an error behind the plate by Toby Barnett. The unearned run gave the Redbirds a 1-0 lead.
With Rueger consistently keeping the ISU lineup in check, all the SIU offense needed was one big inning, and it got that in the bottom half of the third.
Brendan Lutz led off the four-run, four-hit rally with a single to right. P.J. Finigan popped up to the catcher on a bunt in foul territory. With one away, Sal Frisella doubled to right center and Barnett singled to left to score Lutz. On the ensuing play, Greg Andrews hit a three-run homer just right of the 390-feet mark in center to regain a 4-1 lead for the Dawgs.
Andrews delivered again, this time with a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth, where SIU scored one last run. Andrews, who went to third on an error by second baseman Jake Blair, came home on a Carl Heuer double play to round off the 5-1 win.
Todd Stein (1-3) suffered the loss on the mound for ISU. Stein gave up six hits and all five Saluki runs in six innings. He also issued two walks.
In the nightcap, the ISU offense immediately went to work on SIU starter Andrew Weber. In Weber's quick 2.1 innings, the Redbirds posted two doubles, a single, a pair of two-run homers and a walk.
In the top of the first, ISU used back-to-back doubles by Kevin O'Dell and Jay Molina to take an early 1-0 lead.
Lance McMillan led off the second with a double to left center and trotted home on a two-out, smash by Greg Blaesing which extended the Redbirds' lead to 3-0.
With one out in the bottom of the second, Andrews doubled to left center and was driven in on a single by Nathan Boldt.
Trailing 3-1, SIU fell further behind in the top of the third which saw Molina draw a one-out walk. Shortly after Molina's bases on balls, Jon Peacock homered over the right field wall, and that was all for Weber, as ISU took a 5-1 advantage.
After scoring one more run in the third, ISU added another tally in each of the fourth and seventh frames to push its lead to 8-1, before SIU suddenly started to catch up with the 'Birds.
The Salukis came away with one run in the bottom of the seventh when Josh Markle scored on an error by Molina. Prior to the miscue, Markle moved to second on a walk by Tyler Schooley and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Still behind by six (8-2), all nine SIU hitters came to the plate and rallied for four runs in the bottom of the eighth, which saw ISU give up four hits and committing one error.
Frisella led off the attack with a walk and moved to third on consecutive singles by Barnett and Nathan Emrick. With the bases loaded and no outs, Boldt reached on a two-base error which scored Frisella and Barnett, and moved Emrick over to third. Emrick then came home on a sacrifice fly by Josh Markle. Following Markle's sacrifice, Ross Kowzan drove home Emrick on a two-out single to right, and the Dawgs were in business, slicing the ISU lead to 8-6.
The Redbirds, however, used a clutch pair of extra-base hits in the top of the ninth to put the Salukis away. Pickrel tagged a leadoff double to center and remained on second after an intentional walk was issued to Molina. Lance McMillen then ripped a two-out, two-RBI triple to right.
Despite putting runners on first and second with one out in its final at-bat, Boldt grounded into a double play to end the game at 10-6, in favor of the 'Birds.
Josh Kauten picked up the win on the mound for ISU. In seven innings, Kauten allowed seven hits and struck out three, en route to bringing his record to an even 2-2 on the year.
Meanwhile, Weber (1-2) took the loss after being touched for six hits and five runs in just 2.1 innings.
Offensively, Barnett and Andrews each had three hits on the day. Barnett, who extended his hitting streak to 17 games, went 3-for-7 with two runs scored, a double and one RBI. Andrews, on the other hand, went 3-for-6 with a home run, three runs scored and three RBI. The round-tripper was his fourth this season. Emrick also went a perfect 2-for-2 with a run scored in game two.
The Redbirds banged out 13 hits, including five doubles, a triple and three home runs. McMillan paced the attack going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a double, a triple and two RBI.
SIU also posted 11 hits in the contest, but lost for the first time since Feb. 23 in a game where it had 10 or more hits. The Dawgs registered 13 hits in a 11-8 loss at South Florida.
SIU, who holds a 2-1 series lead, concludes its four-game tilt with ISU tomorrow at 1 p.m.
