Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
2-12
Murray St.
2-14
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 25 | 1 |
| Murray State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 4 |
Baseball Storms Past Murray State, 22-6
03/18/2004 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
March 18, 2004
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
MURRAY, Ky. - Sophomore outfielder Matt Brewer went 5-for-6 with three runs scored, three doubles and one RBI to lead Southern Illinois (2-12) to a 22-6 win over Murray State (2-14) earlier today at Reagan Field. Brewer, whose three doubles tied a single game record, ended a 0-for-16 slump at the plate.
Brewer's outstanding day helped SIU's offense explode for 22 runs on 25 hits (both season-highs), as every Saluki starter hit safely in at least one at-bat.
Heading into today, MSU pitchers gave up an average of 10.2 hits in their first 15 games and allowed between 10 and 13 runs in each of their last three. And, to say the least, it didn't take long for the Salukis to reach those totals.
SIU took an early 4-0 lead in the top of the third, which began with a Brewer single to center. After Cory Newman bunted Brewer over to second, Kevin Koski walked and P.J. Finigan was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one away.
Nathan Emrick came up next and fouled off seven pitches as part of an 11-pitch at-bat which he ended with a two-RBI single that scored Brewer and Koski. Shortly after an Andrews infield single, Alvarez drove in Finigan on a sacrifice fly and Emrick came home on a throwing error by pitcher Craig Kraus.
It was then in the fourth, where the Dawgs erupted.
A Nathan Boldt single, a Brewer double and an infield single by Newman quickly loaded the bases to start things off, as the Salukis would bat around.
With the bases juiced and no one out, Koski delivered SIU's fourth consecutive hit of the inning to score Boldt.
Moments after Emrick's one-out single knocked in Brewer, Andrews took Thoroughbred relief pitcher Chandler Shepherd's first offering deep over the right field wall to clear the bases. Andrews' grand slam marked his team-leading fourth homer of the season.
When Andrews was through rounding the bases, Alvarez then dug in and sent his second homer of the year way over the fence in left center. Andrews and Alvarez became the first pair of Salukis to hit back-to-back homers in a game since Toby Barnett and Andrews did it at Indiana State on Mar. 28, 2003.
Still not finished, Finigan hit a RBI-triple and Emrick and Brewer added one more RBI-single apiece to push the Salukis' lead to 13-0.
Although SIU's offensive surge in the fourth was big, what was even more impressive about the Dawgs' hitting was how it never let up.
Pounding away at one MSU pitcher after another, SIU collected another 12 hits, including two or more in the fifth, sixth and ninth innings. Those hits led to another nine runs which polished off the 22-6 romp.
Brewer's three doubles tied a single game record, as his five hits led all Saluki hitters. Although several players have doubled three times in a game throughout SIU's baseball history, the most recent Saluki to do so prior to today was Joel Peters who registered three doubles against Western Illinois (3/1/98).
In addition to Brewer, several other Salukis, including Emrick, Andrews, Koski and Newman had monster days offensively.
Emrick went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and four RBI, while Andrews went 3-for-7 with a grand slam, one run scored and four RBI. Koski then finished at 3-for-5 with four runs scored and three RBI, and Newman went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, a double and one RBI.
And as if that wasn't enough, Finigan and Boldt each had two hits, and three others, including Nick Baughman, Tyler Schooley and Alvarez also found their way into the hit column with one apiece. Additionally, Finigan's triple marked his third of the season, as he leads SIU in that category.
In his first start on the mound in over a year, right-hander Ryan Welch (1-0) was virtually untouchable for the Salukis early on.
Consistently getting ahead of hitters in the count, the right-hander from Brentwood, Tenn., struck out five of MSU's first 10 batters of the game. He also no-hit the 'Breds in two of his first three frames, before going on to pitch five innings en route to his first win of the season.
Jason Chavez and Steve Quigley also pitched well for the Dawgs, as each registered a pair of strikeouts in a minimum of one relief inning.
Meanwhile, MSU's starter, Kraus, and reliever, Shepherd, had the longest days of the four Thoroughbreds who took the mound.
Kraus (0-3) allowed 10 runs and 10 hits in 3.1 innings before suffering his third loss of the season.
Shepherd, on the other hand, had a similar outing, as he gave up 10 hits and seven runs in just two frames.
Offensively, MSU was led by Alex Stewart who went 3-for-5 with one run scored and one RBI.
Today's 22-run performance marked the fourth time under head coach Dan Callahan that SIU has scored 20 or more runs against MSU. Prior to today, the Salukis defeated the 'Breds, 20-8 in 1995, 20-3 in 1998 and 26-10 in 2000.
SIU returns home to host nationally-ranked Notre Dame in a two-game series beginning on Saturday, Mar. 20 at 2 p.m. The Salukis and Fighting Irish will then conclude their set on Sunday, Mar. 21 at noon.
Both teams have already met once this season at the Irish Classic in San Antonio, Texas, where ND defeated SIU, 12-11, in 11 innings.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Welch, Ryan (1-0)
L: KRAUS, Craig (0-3)
Batting:
2B: Brewer, Matt 3 ; Newman, Cory 1
3B: Finigan, P.J. 1
HR: Andrews, Greg 1 ; Alvarez, Erik 1
RBI: Koski, Kevin 3 ; Finigan, P.J. 2 ; Emrick, Nathan 4 ; Andrews, Greg 4 ; Alvarez, Erik 2 ; Brewer, Matt 1 ; Newman, Cory 1
SH: Newman, Cory 1
SF: Alvarez, Erik 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Koski, Kevin 4 ; Finigan, P.J. 2 ; Emrick, Nathan 3 ; Andrews, Greg 1 ; Alvarez, Erik 1 ; Baughman, Nick 1 ; Schooley, Tyler 1 ; Boldt, Nathan 3 ; Brewer, Matt 3 ; Newman, Cory 3
HBP: Finigan, P.J. 1 ; Baughman, Nick 1 ; Boldt, Nathan 1
Batting:
2B: KIRKSEY, Geoff 1 ; SCOTT, Scotty 1 ; HENNIGAR, Dustin 1
RBI: GRIGGS, Clint 1 ; STEWART, Alex 1 ; BRIDWELL, Ike 1 ; FOGLE, Chad 1
SF: BRIDWELL, Ike 1 ; FOGLE, Chad 1
Base Running:
RUNS: STEWART, Alex 1 ; KIRKSEY, Geoff 1 ; MERRITT, J.D. 1 ; SCOTT, Scotty 1 ; SWAIN, Austin 1 ; HENNIGAR, Dustin 1
HBP: KIRKSEY, Geoff 1
