Baseball Beats South Dakota State, 7-2

May 13, 2005

By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Tyler Norrick tossed seven shutout innings, Erik Alvarez posted three hits and P.J. Finigan had three RBI to lead Southern Illinois (32-18) to a 7-2 win over South Dakota State (15-32) earlier today at Abe Martin Field.

The win marked SIU's 32nd of the year and matched the most victories in a season under head coach Dan Callahan. The Salukis also won 32 games in 2002 (32-24).

SIU, the sixth Missouri Valley Conference team SDSU has played in its inaugural season at the Division I level, used a three-run second to take an early 4-0 lead.

Kevin Koski extended his hitting streak to 26 games when he ripped Jackrabbit starter Josh Elliott's first pitch into left field. Nathan Emrick's one-out single on an ensuing hit-and-run, moved Koski to third, who later scored on a balk to give the Dawgs a 1-0 lead in the first.

Alvarez and Tyler Lairson singled, and Matt Brewer reached on an error to load the bases with one out in the second. Alvarez scored on a sacrifice fly by Koski, and a two-out double by Finigan knocked in Brewer and Lairson to extend SIU's lead to 4-0.

Freshman Dean Cademartori's two-out solo home run in the fifth gave the Salukis a 5-0 lead, before the Jackrabbits avoided the shutout in the eighth.

SDSU had only two runners in scoring position through the game's first seven innings, before an error and a wild pitch put Chris Iverson at second with no outs in the eighth.

Shortly after Saluki reliever Jason Chavez struck out Tim Hanigan and got Nick Adams to fly out to center, Greg Geary sent his 10th homer of the year over the left field wall.

SIU, however, answered with two more runs during its at-bat in the eighth, where a second sacrifice fly by Koski scored Alvarez and a two-out single by Finigan plated Brewer to seal the 7-2 win.

Norrick (5-2) also struck out three and gave up five hits in his first non-conference start since Mar. 28 (vs. Western Michigan).

Elliott (3-4) scattered 12 hits, gave up seven runs, issued two walks and struck out five in eight innings.

Offensively, Alvarez went 3-for-4 with two runs scored to lead SIU. Four Salukis, including Finigan (2-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI), Emrick (2-for-5), Koski (2-for-3, 1 R, 2 RBI) and Cademartori (2-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI) followed with two hits.

The Salukis have now won three in a row, and are 12-3 in their last 15 games at home.

SIU and SDSU resume their three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m. Finigan (7-2) will take the mound for the Dawgs.

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Erik Alvarez

Kevin Koski

P.J. Finigan

Nathan Emrick

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