Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
0-10
Notre Dame
7-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 13 | 3 |
| #7 Notre Dame | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 20 | 0 |
Baseball Loses Heartbreaker to No. 7 Notre Dame
03/06/2004 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
March 6, 2004
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - There were a total of 23 runs, 33 hits and both teams threw five pitchers before Craig Cooper scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 11th inning to give No. 7 Notre Dame (7-0) a 12-11 come-from-behind victory over Southern Illinois (0-10) earlier today at the Irish Classic.
The luck of the Irish was in rare form today.
Originally scheduled to land in San Antonio at 11 p.m., Friday night, ND's plane didn't touch down until 1 a.m., after it had been delayed out of Chicago's O'Hare Airport. By the time the Fighting Irish players and coaches checked into their hotel, it was 3 a.m. Seven hours later, the team was taking batting practice.
Knowing all that happened the night before a game, one might think the Fighting Irish would be a bit tired. It looked as though they were early on, but in the end, they woke up and stunned the Salukis.
In both his first start of the season and first since Feb. 15, 2003, left-hander Eric Haberer threw three innings of no-hit, scoreless baseball to open the game. A native of Bloomington, Ill., Haberer was doing a remarkable job of forcing ground ball and fly ball outs en route to retiring nine of ND's first 10 hitters.
While Haberer had things going for him on the mound, SIU's offense combined for 11 hits in the first five innings to get him a substantial lead.
After a two-out RBI-single by Greg Andrews put the Salukis on the board in the top of the first, Tyler Schooley hit a two-RBI double, and both Erik Alvarez and Grant Gerrard each delivered RBI-singles as part of a four-run third.
SIU added to its lead in the fifth, where singles by Cory Newman, Alvarez and Nathan Emrick plated another four runs to give the Dawgs a 9-3 lead.
Holding a comfortable six-run lead, all SIU had to do was put the Fighting Irish away. That, however, would be easier said than done when the Salukis went the next three innings without a hit, and their closer was touched for a pair of two-out, game-tying hits.
While SIU suddenly went hitless in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, ND gradually made its way back into the game.
After a two-run sixth, the Fighting Irish scored three more runs in the bottom of the eighth to pull to within one (9-8). Danny Dressman hit a two-RBI double and Greg Lopez delivered a RBI-single to fuel the rally.
With SIU's P.J. Finigan on the mound, who entered the game in a possible save situation, pinch-hitter Steve Andres hit a two-out double in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 9-9, and force it into extra innings.
In the top of the 10th, a clutch two-out, two-RBI double by Newman put SIU ahead, 11-9, and this time, the Salukis looked like they'd surely pull out the win.
Instead, with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, Finigan gave up a two-RBI single to Cody Rizzo, which knotted the game at 11-11.
After SIU went down in order in the top of the 11th, Tyler Norrick replaced Finigan on the mound and threw a wild pitch that scored Cooper. Prior to Norrick's toss, Cooper doubled and went to third on an error.
Of ND's five pitchers, Ryan Doherty (2-0) ended up with the win after striking out two batters in 1.2 innings.
Unfortunately, for Haberer, his fine effort was overshadowed by a struggling Saluki bullpen which allowed nine runs and 15 hits over five innings. Norrick (0-1) was credited with the loss.
Alvarez went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI to lead SIU, as the Dawgs posted a season-high 11 runs and 13 hits. Andrews, Gerrard and Newman followed with two hits apiece.
ND, who registered 20 hits, was led by Javi Sanchez who went 4-for-6 with two runs.
SIU resumes play at the Irish Classic tomorrow when it takes on Penn State at 5:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Doherty (2-0)
L: Norrick, Tyler (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Schooley, Tyler 1 ; Newman, Cory 1
3B: Finigan, P.J. 1
RBI: Emrick, Nathan 1 ; Andrews, Greg 1 ; Alvarez, Erik 2 ; Schooley, Tyler 2 ; Gerrard, Grant 1 ; Newman, Cory 4
SH: Finigan, P.J. 1 ; Schooley, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Koski, Kevin 2 ; Finigan, P.J. 1 ; Emrick, Nathan 1 ; Andrews, Greg 2 ; Alvarez, Erik 2 ; Schooley, Tyler 1 ; Lutz, Brendan 1 ; Gerrard, Grant 1
SB: Koski, Kevin 1 ; Emrick, Nathan 1
CS: Gerrard, Grant 1
HBP: Koski, Kevin 1
Batting:
2B: Dressman 1 ; Sanchez 1 ; Andres 1 ; Cooper 1
RBI: Dressman 2 ; Rizzo 3 ; Macri 1 ; Bransfield 1 ; Andres 1 ; Lopez 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Sollmann 2 ; Edwards 1 ; Sanchez 2 ; Rizzo 2 ; Macri 3 ; Cooper 1 ; Lopez 1
SB: Sanchez 1 ; Lopez 1
HBP: Sollmann 1 ; Fournier 1
