Late rally not enough as Baseball drops series opener

Friday, March 11

Jacksonville, Ala.

3:00 P.M.

Southern Illinois University

4-8

Jacksonville St.

9-3

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

03/11/2011 | 12:00:00 | Baseball

Box Score

March 11, 2011

By Jason Clay
SIUSalukis.com

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The Southern Illinois baseball team went quiet until the ninth inning and couldn't come back from a three-run deficit, as the Salukis lost the series opener to Jacksonville State, 3-1, Friday at Rudy Abbott Field.

Southern (4-8) had five hits through eight innings, but got three hits in the top of the ninth. Jordan Sivertsen brought home Chris Murphy, who led off the frame with a double, to get the Salukis on the scoreboard.

SIU then had runners on second and third, the tying runs, with one out. However, reliever Todd Hornsby came in and struck out the next two batters to preserve the win for the Gamecocks and pick up his fourth save of the season

Jacksonville State improves to 9-3 on the year behind a solid effort from starting pitcher Jordan Beistline, who now has a 3-0 record. He threw six scoreless innings and has yet to allow an earned run in 16.1 innings of work this year. Beistline gave up four hits and struck out three with one walk on the day.

Saluki starter Cameron Maldonado (1-3) pitched a strong six innings, but drew the loss as Southern failed to provide him with any run support. Maldonado scattered nine hits, struck out five and did not walk a batter.

SIU had eight hits in the game, and four of them were doubles. Designate hitter Blake Pinnon had two of the doubles, but Southern failed to plate him either time. Pinnon and Murphy both went 2-for-4 on the day.

Jacksonville State had nine hits and two errors, while Southern did not commit an error in the game.

Gamecock cleanup hitter Sam Eberle drove in two of JSU's three runs and he finished the game going 2-for-4.

The Salukis had runners on first and third in the top of the first with two outs, but didn't score. After that, Beistline got stronger as the game went along and Southern only got one runner in scoring position against him after that before he exited following the sixth inning.

Jake Sharrock gave the Gamecocks an early 1-0 lead in the second inning with his sacrifice fly to right field that scored Ben Waldrip.

Jacksonville State added onto its lead in the fifth on a two-out, two-run double to the left field by Eberle.

SIU also threatened with two outs in the top of the sixth. Pinnon's second double of the game put him in scoring position for the second time. Murphy followed and ripped the first pitch he saw to the warning track in center field, but Michael Bishop made a basket catch at the warning track to steal an RBI double and keep the Salukis off the scoreboard.

Nick Johnson led off the eighth with a double to the wall in left center, but Southern stranded him there as they couldn't back his double up with another hit.

SIU then had its chances in the ninth, but could not bring home the tying runs from second and third and the Salukis ended up stranding seven on base in the game.