Southern Illinois University
9-13, 2-0
Northern Iowa
8-11, 0-2
Baseball edges Northern Iowa, 5-4
03/21/2009 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
March 21, 2009
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Chris Murphy went 4-for-5, drove in the tying run and scored the winning run to lead Southern Illinois University (9-13, 2-0) to a 5-4 win over Northern Iowa (8-11, 0-2) earlier today at Abe Martin Field.
Murphy fell a home run shy of hitting for the cycle en route to lifting SIU to its first series win of the season and sixth-straight series win against UNI.
SIU used some late game heroics to beat the Panthers for the second day in a row. After falling behind, 4-0, in the third, the Salukis battled back to score two runs in the fifth inning, one in the seventh and two in the eighth.
A two-RBI single by Deric Manrique and two-run homer by Brett Douglas gave UNI its four-run cushion in the third.
The Panthers, however, were held scoreless and had only two hits in the final six innings.
Saluki starting righthander Adam Curynski was charged with all four of UNI's runs, but tossed four innings of no-hit, shutout baseball after that. Curynski recorded 11-straight outs, beginning with Cory Ege's double play ball in the third.
SIU started to cut into UNI's lead when it loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth. Murphy led off with a triple to right center, Aaron Roberts was hit by a pitch and Michael Stalter walked. Mark Kelly knocked in Murphy and Roberts on a single to center, making it a 4-2 game.
The Salukis pulled to within a run when Stalter walked and scored on a two-out double by Jordan Sivertsen in the seventh. Sivertsen was hitless in 10-straight at-bats prior to the clutch hit.
Tony Lepore then led off the eighth with a single up the middle and went to second on a sacrifice-bunt. Murphy followed with a double down the left field line and Lepore scored to tie the game. After Roberts' groundball out moved Murphy to third, Stalter was hit by a pitch. With runners on the corners and two outs, Kelly singled home Murphy to give SIU a 5-4 lead. Kelly delivered his team-high 11th RBI with two outs this season.
Saluki closer Bryant George took the mound in the ninth and recorded a strikeout and two groundball outs to earn his third save. George, who has 18 career saves, needs two more to break SIU's all-time record, currently held by Al Levine (19 career saves, 1990-91).
Lefthander Daniel Wells (1-0) was credited with the win. Wells struck out UNI cleanup hitter Travis Bennett with runners on second and third in the eighth inning.
Wells, George and righthander Kellen Candau did not allow a run out of the Saluki bullpen. It marked the fourth time the SIU bullpen held an opponent scoreless this year.
Lefthander Chris Macek (1-1) suffered the loss. Macek gave up two hits and two runs in two-thirds of an inning.
SIU outhit UNI, 11-7 on the day. Murphy had two singles, a triple, double, two runs scored and one RBI. His four hits were a career-high. Kelly followed with two hits. He finished at 2-for-5 with three RBI. Seven of the Salukis' nine starters had a hit.
UNI was led by Jeff Taliaferro, who went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Manrique and Douglas knocked in all the Panther runs.
Defensively, both teams went without an error after combining for 11 in Friday's series-opener.
SIU goes for the sweep of UNI on Sunday at 1 p.m., CT. Starting pitchers are to be determined for both teams.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wells, Daniel (1-0)
L: Macek, Chris (1-1)
S: George, Bryant (3)
Batting:
HR: Douglas, Brett 1
RBI: Manrique, Deric 2 ; Douglas, Brett 2
SH: Grgurich, Grant 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Manrique, Deric 1 ; Douglas, Brett 1 ; Taliaferro, Jeff 1 ; Ege, Cory 1
Batting:
2B: Murphy, Chris 1 ; Sivertsen, Jordan 1 ; Elmendorf, Scott 1
3B: Murphy, Chris 1
RBI: Murphy, Chris 1 ; Kelly, Mark 3 ; Sivertsen, Jordan 1
SH: Serritella, Chris 1 ; Elmendorf, Scott 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Murphy, Chris 2 ; Roberts, Aaron 1 ; Stalter, Michael 1 ; Lepore, Tony 1
SB: Murphy, Chris 1
HBP: Roberts, Aaron 2 ; Stalter, Michael 1
