Baseball Splits With Evansville

Saturday, April 23

Evansville, IN

1:00 PM

Southern Illinois University

24-14, 8-5

Evansville

29-12, 7-6

Southern Illinois

Evansville

04/23/2005 | 12:00:00 | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

April 23, 2005

Final Stats

By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Bryan Rueger scattered four hits and struck out three en route to his team-leading sixth win of the season, as Southern Illinois (24-15, 8-6) split a doubleheader with Evansville (30-12, 8-6) earlier today in frigid conditions at Braun Stadium. The Salukis won, 9-3, behind Rueger's strong outing, but ended up losing the nightcap, 3-2.

Rueger (6-2) was initially scheduled to start Sunday's game, but took the mound after the series-opener was suspended due to rain.

SIU had a 4-2 lead, runners on the corners and no outs when Rueger took over, and from then on, he dominated the Aces.

A native of Mt. Vernon, Ind., Rueger began his outing by retiring 10 of 12 UE hitters, including his first nine straight. He also no-hit the Purple Aces in five of eight innings, while only giving up one run in the fifth.

Following SIU's big second inning, which saw the Salukis push across three runs on four hits, the Dawgs outscored UE, 5-0, in the last four frames.

After UE pulled to within a run (4-3) on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Barrett in the fifth, the Dawgs scored one run in each of the sixth, seventh and ninth innings, and two in the eighth.

Hunter Harrigan's two-out single to right, which came after Nathan Emrick was intentionally walked, plated Kevin Koski in the sixth, before a one-out double by Chris McCulloch scored Erik Alvarez in the seventh.

The Salukis then had the bases loaded with no outs in the eighth, where Koski later touched home on a wild pitch and Alvarez singled to knock in P.J. Finigan.

One more run came home in the ninth after Finigan's sacrifice fly scored Tyler Lairson to ice the 9-3 win.

In the second game, SIU trailed, 1-0, before Matt Brewer scored an unearned run to tie things up in the fourth.

Brewer, who reached on a two-out double to right, went to third on Ryan Hypke's infield single and scored on an error by UE third baseman Joe Tautges.

SIU went ahead, 2-1, in the sixth after Finigan trotted home on Koski's bases loaded walk.

However, UE regained the lead in the seventh, where Robbie Minor's RBI-double and Eric Jones' run-scoring single gave the Aces a 3-2 lift.

Both of those runs were charged to Saluki reliever Adam Snyder, who replaced Finigan in the seventh. Finigan allowed three hits and one run, while striking out three in six innings before Snyder entered the game.

Although SIU threatened with runners on the corners and one out in the ninth, UE held on for the 3-2 win when its closer, Mark Murray, got Harrigan to ground into a double play.

Ryan Lancaster (4-2) was credited with the win after only pitching one relief inning, while Snyder (1-3) suffered the loss.

Meanwhile, Murray's save marked his team-leading 12th of the season. Murray's 12 saves also lead the nation.

Offensively, Koski and Finigan each hit .500 or better in the two games to lead SIU.

Koski, who extended his hitting streak to 15 games, hit .571 (4-for-7) with two runs scored, a double, stolen base and one RBI.

Finigan followed hitting .500 (4-for-8) with two runs, a double and three RBI. A native of Springfield, Ill., he also had 11 assists.

SIU outhit UE, 21-11, in the two games, including a 13-5 mark in game one. The Salukis also left a combined 23 runners on base.

The Salukis and Aces conclude their series tomorrow at 1 p.m. Tyler Norrick, who started and pitched one inning Friday, is expected to return to the mound Sunday.