Salukis even series with 5-4 comeback win over Jacksonville State

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CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois baseball team scored the final three runs of the game in the late innings to overcome a 4-2 deficit and earn a 5-4 win over Jacksonville State on Saturday afternoon at Itchy Jones Stadium. The Salukis evened up the series, and the rubber game will be Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.

"It's a credit to our entire club, our dugout and everything," SIU head coach Ken Henderson said. "In the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, there was no panic. It was all excitement: 'Let's find a way to get this done.' We got it done, and hopefully we can build on that."

SIU (12-11) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the second inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Dyllin Mucha hit a soft liner into left field. JSU left fielder Nolan Greckel dropped the ball but recovered in time to get a force out at third base. Then, with two outs, Connor Kopach came through with an RBI single.

Armed with a 2-0 lead, SIU starter Michael Baird was dominant for six innings. After Greckel led off the game with a single, Baird retired 18 of the next 19 batters he faced.

On an overcast day, the rain started pouring in the top of the seventh. With a wet baseball and slick mound, Baird walked his only batter of the day with one out. The next three JSU hitters singled off Baird to tie the game, 2-2. SIU's bullpen walked in two more runs in the inning to hand the Gamecocks a 4-2 lead. As the inning ended, the rain relented.

"He was in complete control," Henderson said of Baird. "He had a two-hitter going into the seventh inning. For whatever reason, whether it be the conditions—which that was the only time it was pouring all day—it was a bizarre (7th) inning."

The Salukis got a big run back in the bottom half of the inning. Ryan Smith led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. With one out, he stole third, setting up Dyllin Mucha's RBI groundout to bring SIU to within 4-3.

Austin McPheron, who has started four games for SIU, came in to pitch the eighth. He struck out two and pitched around a one-out double to keep Southern within a run.

"McPheron was outstanding," Henderson said. "We've talked about how we may have to change his role because he's thrown well. We may need him in conference games. I guess it's still a work in progress six weeks in."

Logan Blackfan worked a walk to lead off the bottom of the eighth, and Nick Hutchins hit an opposite field double to put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. Jake Hand came through with a game-tying single, and Hutchins scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.

"I'm proud of our guys for battling back," Henderson said. "We had a nightmare of an inning; but when we came back in, it was great to see guys getting on each other, saying, 'We're not quitting. We're going to keep battling.' And that was the best job we've done in a long time of getting some big hits. Guys stepped up. Nick Hutchins hit a double in the corner, and Jake Hand's hit was big. We had some big hits in the seventh, too, to get that run. Some guys stepped up in crucial situations."

Closer Ryan Netemeyer dominated the ninth inning to earn his eighth save of the season. Since the March 1, Netemeyer has struck out 12 in 10.1 innings and hasn't allowed a run.

"That was the best outing Netemeyer has had all year," Henderson said. "He had quality strikes down in the zone, and he had the best command of his breaking ball that he's had all year. By far, that was as sharp as he's been all year."

SIU improved to 12-11 on the season and evened up the series with Jacksonville State, the preseason OVC favorites.

"That's what we're talking about. Find a way. Be tougher," Henderson said. "This is a veteran club. We've never quit. We battle hard when we get down. We've done that all year, but we haven't gotten key hits. We haven't gotten key stops on the bump. Today, we did that."

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