Saluki Baseball splits doubleheader at Dallas Baptist

Saturday, April 16

Dallas, Texas

2:00 PM

Southern Illinois University

20-15-1, 0

Dallas Baptist

23-10, 0

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

04/16/2016 | 12:00:00 | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

April 16, 2016

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

DALLAS, Texas - Southern Illinois split a doubleheader with Dallas Baptist on Saturday, dropping the opening game 7-4 before shutting out the Patriots, 7-0, in the second game.

"Overall, today was pretty good for us," head coach Ken Henderson said. "We played hard and our effort was unbelievable. Today was a huge day for us and this weekend was probably our best in terms of how we played."

In game one, the Patriots (23-11, 4-1 MVC) took advantage of the howling wind and an error against SIU (21-15-1, 2-4 MVC), hitting back-to-back home runs in the second inning to give them a 5-0 lead over the Salukis.

Southern responded in the third, scoring three runs to make it a 5-3 game. Will Farmer led the inning off with a solo home run into left field. An error and a single later put runners on first and second for Greg Lambert, who sliced a double into left field, scoring Dyllin Mucha. SIU's third run of the inning scored on a bases loaded walk.

The Salukis got within a run of the Patriots in the sixth inning, scoring a run on a Mucha RBI groundout to make it a 5-4 game. The home team however took advantage of an SIU error in the eighth, scoring two runs, to make it a 7-4 game. DBU sealed the game in the ninth, sending SIU down in order to finish the game.

SIU had eight hits in the game, led by Farmer who went 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored.

It was the Salukis who struck first in game two, scoring four runs in the third frame for a 4-0 lead. With the bases loaded and two outs, Lambert gave SIU the lead with a single into right field. Logan Blackfan followed with a two-run double that hit off the right field wall.

Working with a four run lead, SIU starter Michael Baird turned in one of his best games of the season, pitching 6.2 scoreless innings with four hits allowed. Baird earned the win, improving to 6-2 this season.

Ryan Smith added a run in the seventh inning on his first home run of the season, before all but sealing the victory in the ninth with two more runs after Blackfan hit his second two-run double of the game.

With the win, the Salukis snap a 12-game losing streak to the Patriots, while also earning their first win ever at Horner Ballpark.

"This is such a hard place to play and a tough place to win," Henderson said. "We played hard and believed that we could compete with them. To come here and do this is huge for our program."

Southern will return to the friendly confines of Itchy Jones Stadium on Tuesday, as Arkansas State visits for an afternoon tilt. First pitch against the Red Wolves is set for 5 p.m.