Baseball Falls to SMS, 7-6

Friday, April 15

Carbondale, Ill.

2:00 P.M.

Southern Illinois University

20-14, 5-5

Missouri St.

12-19, 4-6

Missouri State

Southern Illinois

04/15/2005 | 12:00:00 | Baseball

Box Score

April 15, 2005

Final Stats

By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southwest Missouri State (12-19, 4-6) scored three runs in the eighth and four in the ninth to come back and beat Southern Illinois (20-14, 5-5), 7-6, earlier today in Missouri Valley Conference action at Abe Martin Field.

The loss snapped SIU's six-game winning streak at home. Today also marked the third time in four league games that the Salukis have been beaten in the eighth, ninth or 10th innings.

SMS, who fell behind 3-0 early on, tied the game in the eighth, where three Saluki pitchers saw action on the mound.

Starting left-hander Tyler Norrick shutout the Bears for the first seven innings, and at one time, retired nine consecutive SMS hitters between the third and sixth innings.

A native of Festus, Mo., Norrick also struck out seven before the outing turned into a no-decision for his second straight start.

After starting to show signs of fatigue in the seventh, Norrick went up against the top half of SMS' lineup in the eighth, where he walked Jacob Hilgendorf, hit Kirk McConnell with a pitch and gave up a hit to Tim Rafferty to load the bases with no outs.

Shortly after Rafferty's hit, Jason Chavez entered the game and gave up back-to-back RBI-singles to Matt Weglarz and pinch-hitter Tony Lewis. Adam Snyder then took the hill, and Chris Taylor lifted a sacrifice fly to score Rafferty.

Tied, 3-3, SIU regained a two-run lead during its turn in the eighth.

Dean Cademartori reached on a one-out infield single and went to third on an ensuing double by Hunter Harrigan. Moments after Erik Alvarez walked to put Salukis at every base, freshman Ryan Enata singled home both Cademartori and Harrigan to give SIU a 5-3 lead.

However, the Saluki bullpen couldn't hold the lead in the ninth, as SMS loaded the bases again.

This time, four of the first five Bears hit safely. Pinch-hitter Scott Nasby led off the attack with a single to center, before three-consecutive one-out hits in a row knocked Snyder out of the game.

Hilgendorf and Rafferty each had RBI-doubles to account for two of those three hits, before Saluki relievers Mark Obszanski and Andrew Weber combined for three consecutive walks, which aided in the Bears scoring their other two runs.

Despite the stunning seven runs put on the board by SMS in the eighth and ninth innings, SIU kept fighting in its last at-bat.

P.J. Finigan drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a bunt single by Nathan Emrick. Matt Brewer then reached on a fielder's choice to give the Dawgs runners on the corners with one out.

A big error by Hilgendorf in center followed that, and Finigan scored.

Brewer also went to third and Cademartori moved to second on the dropped fly ball.

After an ensuing intentional walk to Harrigan loaded the bases, still with one away, Alvarez lifted a routine fly ball to right.

Manning made a clean catch for the second out and immediately threw to the plate thinking Brewer might try to score. However, Brewer didn't tag up. Enata's ensuing fly ball to right was then caught in foul territory to end the game.

SIU, who drove in all three of its runs on extra-base hits, was led by Finigan, Emrick, Cademartori and Harrigan's two hits apiece. The Salukis had 12 hits on the day, the most in a Valley game this season.

Rafferty went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI to top the Bears, who also posted double-digit hits with 11. Additionally, SMS committed four errors.

SIU and SMS resume their series tomorrow at 2 p.m. Finigan (4-2) will start on the mound for the Dawgs.