Sunday, February 26
Monroe, La.
1 p.m.
Southern Illinois University
4-3
2
at
6
Louisiana Monroe
3-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Southern Illinois
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
2
12
1
ULM
0
0
0
1
2
0
0
3
X
6
10
1
Salukis strand 11, drop series at ULM
02/26/2017 | 4:26:00 | Baseball
MONROE, La. - The Southern Illinois baseball team had a season-high 12 hits but stranded 11 base runners in a 6-2 loss at Louisiana Monroe on Sunday afternoon at Warhawk Field. ULM (3-4) won the three-game series, 2-1.Â
"We just did a bad job with runners on base," SIU head coach Ken Henderson said. "We should have blown the game open in the first four innings, but we got nothing out of it. It was like Friday night. We swung it well, but we need to hit when it counts."
Twice, SIU loaded the bases with nobody out and did not score. In the second inning, SIU came away empty after a pop out, strikeout and routine grounder. In the fourth inning, SIU came away empty after a strikeout and a double play. Overall, SIU had the bases loaded with less than two outs six times, but went 1-for-6 with two double plays and two strikeouts.Â
The Salukis used veteran Austin McPheron as a spot starter on the mound. Regular Sunday starter Joey Marciano was held out as a precautionary measure. McPheron was outstanding, scattering five hits over 3.2 innings and allowing only one run.Â
"McPheron did a good job. He gave us a chance to win, and I'm proud of him," Henderson said. "We had some guys come in and do a good job out of the bullpen, but we need to get everyone going. We can't be a five, six or seven-man staff. They're all capable. We just need to execute pitches."
ULM expanded the lead to 3-0 with two more runs in the fifth. SIU made its charge in the top of the sixth. Hunter Anderson was hit by a pitch, and Nick Hutchins drew a walk. Ryan Sabo hit a grounder between third and shortstop that got through, scoring Anderson to bring the game within 3-1. Connor Kopach singled to load the bases, and Ryan Smith hit an RBI single into right to get SIU within a run, but a double play ended the inning before Southern could tie or take the lead.Â
Jamison Steege (1.2 IP, 1H, 0R, 2 K) kept SIU within striking distance after that. He pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, and when he got into trouble in the seventh, Jacob Williams came in and got back-to-back strikeouts. The Salukis had their final chance in the top of the eighth. Nick Hutchins hit a one-out triple to give SIU the tying run on third with one out. ULM turned to Anthony Herrera, who pitched effectively against SIU on Friday. He got a strikeout and a fly out to preserve Louisiana Monroe's 3-2 lead.Â
"We had a chance to tie the ball game up there, but he's a good pitcher who threw quality pitches," Henderson said. "The difference in the game is the second inning and the fourth inning. That's the ball game. We came off a big win yesterday. If we jump on them early, it's a different day. But we don't get any runs there, and they have all the momentum. We have good hitters, but we're trying to do too much in those situations. We need to back off and become good hitters again."
ULM extended the lead with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. A two-out error scored a run, which was followed by a two-run home run to set the final margin.Â
"We need to put balls in play," Henderson said. "We're striking out nine or 10 times a game. You're not going to beat many people when they don't have to make a play on a third of the outs. You have to put the ball in play. That's what they did. They put a ball in play; we didn't make the play; and they got three runs out of it."
SIU has one more game left on the season-opening eight-game road trip. The Salukis head to Belmont on Tuesday, Feb. 28, for a 4 p.m. first pitch against the Bruins. The Salukis have lost three of the last four heading into the game.Â
"There's nothing we can do about it now," Henderson said. "It was not a good weekend for us; but if we don't learn from it, we don't get anything out of it. I learned a lot about our ball club this weekend, both things we need to work on and things we did well."
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"We just did a bad job with runners on base," SIU head coach Ken Henderson said. "We should have blown the game open in the first four innings, but we got nothing out of it. It was like Friday night. We swung it well, but we need to hit when it counts."
Twice, SIU loaded the bases with nobody out and did not score. In the second inning, SIU came away empty after a pop out, strikeout and routine grounder. In the fourth inning, SIU came away empty after a strikeout and a double play. Overall, SIU had the bases loaded with less than two outs six times, but went 1-for-6 with two double plays and two strikeouts.Â
The Salukis used veteran Austin McPheron as a spot starter on the mound. Regular Sunday starter Joey Marciano was held out as a precautionary measure. McPheron was outstanding, scattering five hits over 3.2 innings and allowing only one run.Â
"McPheron did a good job. He gave us a chance to win, and I'm proud of him," Henderson said. "We had some guys come in and do a good job out of the bullpen, but we need to get everyone going. We can't be a five, six or seven-man staff. They're all capable. We just need to execute pitches."
ULM expanded the lead to 3-0 with two more runs in the fifth. SIU made its charge in the top of the sixth. Hunter Anderson was hit by a pitch, and Nick Hutchins drew a walk. Ryan Sabo hit a grounder between third and shortstop that got through, scoring Anderson to bring the game within 3-1. Connor Kopach singled to load the bases, and Ryan Smith hit an RBI single into right to get SIU within a run, but a double play ended the inning before Southern could tie or take the lead.Â
Jamison Steege (1.2 IP, 1H, 0R, 2 K) kept SIU within striking distance after that. He pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, and when he got into trouble in the seventh, Jacob Williams came in and got back-to-back strikeouts. The Salukis had their final chance in the top of the eighth. Nick Hutchins hit a one-out triple to give SIU the tying run on third with one out. ULM turned to Anthony Herrera, who pitched effectively against SIU on Friday. He got a strikeout and a fly out to preserve Louisiana Monroe's 3-2 lead.Â
"We had a chance to tie the ball game up there, but he's a good pitcher who threw quality pitches," Henderson said. "The difference in the game is the second inning and the fourth inning. That's the ball game. We came off a big win yesterday. If we jump on them early, it's a different day. But we don't get any runs there, and they have all the momentum. We have good hitters, but we're trying to do too much in those situations. We need to back off and become good hitters again."
ULM extended the lead with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. A two-out error scored a run, which was followed by a two-run home run to set the final margin.Â
"We need to put balls in play," Henderson said. "We're striking out nine or 10 times a game. You're not going to beat many people when they don't have to make a play on a third of the outs. You have to put the ball in play. That's what they did. They put a ball in play; we didn't make the play; and they got three runs out of it."
SIU has one more game left on the season-opening eight-game road trip. The Salukis head to Belmont on Tuesday, Feb. 28, for a 4 p.m. first pitch against the Bruins. The Salukis have lost three of the last four heading into the game.Â
"There's nothing we can do about it now," Henderson said. "It was not a good weekend for us; but if we don't learn from it, we don't get anything out of it. I learned a lot about our ball club this weekend, both things we need to work on and things we did well."
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Beal, C. (1-0)
L: McPheron, Austin (0-1)
S: Herrera, A. (1)
Batting:
3B: Hutchins, Nick 1
RBI: Smith, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Anderson, Hunter 1 ; Hutchins, Nick 1
CS: Hand, Jake 1
HBP: Anderson, Hunter 1
Batting:
2B: Herrera, A. 1 ; DeLaCruz, J. 1 ; Francis, T. 2
HR: Barefoot, B. 1
RBI: Hemphill, S. 1 ; Bell, C. 1 ; Barefoot, B. 2
SH: Francis, T. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Reynolds, N. 1 ; DeLaCruz, J. 1 ; Francis, T. 2 ; McGehee, B. 1 ; Barefoot, B. 1
SB: Reynolds, N. 1 ; DeLaCruz, J. 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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