Baseball Drops Series-Opener to Vanderbilt

Friday, February 20

Nashville, Tenn.

4:00 PM

Southern Illinois University

0-4

Vanderbilt

1-0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Southern Illinois	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	1	2	6	7	3
Vanderbilt	2	0	1	0	1	2	1	5	X	12	15	1

02/20/2004 | 12:00:00 | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 20, 2004

Box Score

By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Vanderbilt used six extra-base hits, as every Commodore starter reached base in a 12-6 win over Southern Illinois (0-4) earlier today at Hawkins Field.

Whenever SIU threatened, VU countered, and the Salukis just couldn't pull ahead of the Commodores even though they were getting big hits off ace left-hander Jeremy Sowers.

One of the top left-handers in the country, Sowers came out strong early by retiring SIU in order on eight pitches in the top of the first.

Immediately following Sowers' solid start, VU's offense went to work in the bottom half of the first, where it capitalized on a pair of passed balls by Brendan Lutz to take a 2-0 lead.

SIU had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the third, but only managed to push one run across. Nathan Boldt reached on a Sowers error and moved to second on a single by Erik Alvarez. Matt Brewer then walked and Nick Baughman was hit by a pitch to bring home the run.

Trailing 2-1, Greg Andrews hit a two-out solo home run to tie the game in the top of the third. Andrews took Sowers' first delivery deep over the left field wall.

VU, however, shook off Andrews' bomb with a RBI-single by Cesar Nicolas. Nicolas' hit scored Warner Jones, whose double sparked a two-out rally in the bottom of the third.

After Ryan Klosterman tripled and scored to give VU a 4-2 lead in the fifth, Andrews homered again in the sixth to bring the Salukis to within one.

But once again, VU answered. This time, a Klosterman double and a Jones single plated two runs to extend the Commodores' lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the sixth. It was at that point, where VU would start to pull ahead for good.

A Mike Baxter home run in the seventh complemented a five-run, four-hit attack in the eighth to cap off the 12-6 win even though both Boldt and Josh Markle would also homer for the Dawgs.

VU posted 15 hits and was led by Jones who went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a double and three RBI. Klosterman, Nicolas, Baxter and Tony Mansolino followed with two hits apiece.

Meanwhile, SIU scored five of its six runs off four homers. Andrews (2) and Boldt (1), who joined forces for three of the four round-trippers, each finished at 2-for-4 with two runs scored and at least one RBI to lead the charge. Additionally, Markle's two-run shot came during a pinch-hit at-bat in the top of the ninth.

Marshall Tucker (0-2) took the fall on the mound for SIU. In 5.1 innings, Tucker struck out four batters, gave up nine hits and allowed six runs.

Sowers (1-0) struck out six batters in six innings en route to his first win of the year. He also allowed four hits, including two home runs to Andrews.

Matt Buschmann, who relieved Sowers in the seventh, struck out three batters in the game's final three innings to earn the save.

SIU and VU resume their three-game series tomorrow at 2 p.m.