Baseball falls to Middle Tennessee State, 7-3

Wednesday, March 5

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

2:00 P.M.

Southern Illinois University

3-5

Middle Tennessee

7-1-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Southern Illinois	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	3	11	1
Middle Tennessee	1	1	1	0	0	0	2	2	X	7	9	3

03/05/2008 | 12:00:00 | Baseball

Box Score

March 5, 2008

Box Score

By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Nathan Hines went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, a double, home run and one RBI to lead Middle Tennessee State University (7-1-1) to a 7-3 win over Southern Illinois (3-5) earlier today at Reese Smith Field.

Hines led off with an extra base hit and scored in each of the first and third innings before helping set up the Blue Raiders' go-ahead run in the seventh.

Deadlocked at 3-3 with a runner on second, Hines ripped a one-out single to right, advancing Miller to third. Zach Barrett walked and Blake McDade lifted a sacrifice fly to get MTSU the lead. A two-out Saluki error followed and Hines scored to give the Blue Raiders a two-run cushion.

After MTSU reliever Langdon Stanley turned a key double play with no outs and runners on first and second in the top of the eighth, Miller launched a two-run homer to polish off the 7-3 win in the bottom half of the inning.

MTSU pulled ahead, 3-0, when its leadoff hitter reached on an extra base hit and scored in each of the first three innings.

Hines hit Andrew Dunn's first pitch for a double to left center and scored on McDade's one-out double in the first. Zach Hudson began the second with a double down the left field line and scored with the help of a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly in the second. Hines came up again to start the third, this time hitting a homer to left.

SIU made its way back into the game with a lot of help in the fourth.

A single, two wild pitches, a balk and an error allowed SIU to pull to within a run with two outs. Lou Johanns singled home Aaron Roberts on a 3-2 pitch before scoring on a throwing error by Barrett.

Mark Kelly scored on Tyler Choate's two-out single to tie the game in the fifth. Kelly led off the inning with a single to left and went to second on a grounder to first prior to scoring on Choate's first RBI-hit of the season.

Chad Edwards (2-0) earned the win after tossing 1.1 scoreless innings.

Nick Rice (0-1) suffered the loss for SIU, allowing three hits and two runs. Rice also walked two and struck out five. All five of his Ks came on 3-2 pitches.

Choate went 3-for-4 to lead the Dawgs, who outhit the Blue Raiders, 11-9. Choate's three hits matched a career-high.

SIU returns to action this weekend when it hosts Xavier in a three-game series, beginning Friday.