Baseball Pounds Stetson, 11-3

Sunday, February 13

DeLand, Fla.

12:00 PM

Southern Illinois University

1-2

Stetson

2-1

Southern Illinois

Stetson

02/13/2005 | 12:00:00 | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 13, 2005

Final Stats

By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com

DeLAND, Fla. - Southern Illinois (1-2) posted 14 hits and used a six-run third inning to down Stetson University (2-1), 11-3, earlier today at Conrad Park. P.J. Finigan and Matt Brewer paved the way with three hits each, as the Dawgs registered their first win of the season.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second, SIU answered with an impressive six-run, five-hit strike in the third.

Every Saluki hitter came to the plate, as the damage was done with two outs.

After Nathan Emrick reached on a single to start the inning, Hunter Harrigan flied out to left and Tyler Lairson lined out to second.

Then, the top half of the Saluki order went to work, as all of SIU's first five hitters reached base and scored to rattle Stetson freshman right-hander Robbie Elsemiller.

Kevin Koski's two-out single to center moved Emrick over to second, who scored on an ensuing hit by Finigan. Freshman Dean Cademartori then walked to load the bases.

Hitting .556 heading into today's final game of the series, cleanup hitter Grant Gerrard followed with a bases clearing double. Moments later, Brewer hit a two-run homer to put SIU ahead, 6-1.

For Brewer, his towering shot over the left field wall, marked the ninth homer of his career and first this season.

Ryan Heacox relieved Elsemiller in the fourth and immediately struggled against Emrick, the first batter he faced.

Heacox hit Emrick and allowed him to go to second on a wild pitch. Emrick quickly went to third on a passed ball and came home on a sacrifice fly by Harrigan, which extended the Salukis' lead to 7-1.

While SIU's offense was rolling, its pitching and defense were playing with fire.

There were a total of seven walks between three Saluki pitchers and SIU's defense committed three errors.

Meanwhile, the Hatters ended up loading the bases four times, but stranded 11 runners, and scored only three runs in that span.

In addition to the second inning, Stetson gave the Salukis a scare in both the fourth and fifth.

In the fourth, back-to-back, two-out walks and a bunt single loaded the bases for the Hatters.

Brian Bocock, who drew the first walk, scored on an error. Joey Wilson also tried to score on the play, but Lairson threw out Wilson at the plate from second.

Following Jon Still's RBI-double in the fifth, Stetson had runners on first and second with one out after another Saluki error. However, SIU starter Bryan Rueger got Adam Tindle to pop up to second, and Bocock to fly out to right.

Ahead, 7-3, SIU escaped one other Stetson threat in the sixth, when Adam Snyder forced Still to pop up to short. The Hatters had the bases loaded with two away prior to the big out.

From then on, SIU didn't let Stetson come any closer, as the Saluki offense struck again.

Chris McCulloch's solo home run in the eighth and RBI-single in the ninth added to five more Saluki hits in the last two innings, which sealed the 11-3 win.

Snyder pinned Stetson's offense to only two hits in 3.1 innings of relief. A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., he also struck out one and walked two en route to earning his first save.

Additionally, Snyder recorded four consecutive outs between the sixth and seventh, and only allowed four Stetson baserunners after relieving freshman Dylan Ward in the sixth.

Rueger (1-0) posted the win for the Dawgs. He struck out three, walked four, allowed five hits and gave up three runs in five innings.

Elsemiller (0-1) scattered five hits and gave up seven runs, including six earned. He lasted three innings.

Finigan, who went hitless in his first two games this season, went 3-for-5 with a double, one RBI and a run scored, while Brewer finished at 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, two runs scored and two RBI.

Koski, Emrick and McCulloch followed with two hits.

SIU returns to action Feb. 18-20 when it plays a three-game series at the University of New Orleans.