Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
7-5
Murray State
8-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 14 | 1 |
| Murray State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 4 | X | 13 | 15 | 2 |
Murray State stuns Saluki Baseball, 13-12
03/08/2017 | 10:40:00 | Baseball
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State scored 10 unanswered runs to stun the Southern Illinois baseball program, 13-12, on Wednesday night. SIU (7-5) roared out to 9-0 and 12-3 leads, but the Racers (8-4) scored six runs in the sixth and four in the eighth to earn the victory.Â
Offensively, SIU pounded out 14 hits and scored 12 runs. Every spot in the order reached at least once, and SIU put up three runs in four separate innings.
"Believe it or not, that's probably one of the best games we've played all year, positionally," SIU head coach Ken Henderson said. "We've been working really hard on our offensive approaches, and we took much better swings. We played much better defense, and Austin McPheron was outstanding. He gave the bullpen a 12-3 lead."
SIU starter Austin McPheron, who started for the second time this season, was outstanding while SIU built a big lead. He started the game with four shutout innings and left after five innings, allowing only three runs (two earned) while striking out four and walking only one.Â
"That's a team that can hit. He did a phenomenal job," Henderson said. "Two earned in five innings—you can't ask for any more than that. I told him after the game he deserved better. He deserved to win, and I'm proud of him."
After he left the game, Murray State immediately pounced on SIU's bullpen. McPheron allowed seven hits but limited the damage with only one free pass. Southern's bullpen allowed eight hits the rest of the way, but the Racers got 10 runs thanks in part to four walks and three hit batsmen. Five of those seven runs went on to score.Â
"That's the challenge right now. We have to find some guys who want to throw strikes," Henderson said. "Four walks, three hit batters and two wild pitches all out of the bullpen. That's a gift. You have a 12-3 lead in the sixth inning; all you have to do is pound the zone. Make them earn everything, and the game is over. We didn't do that."
The loss spoiled an outstanding night for Greg Lambert, who was a dominant force in the middle of the lineup. Lambert went 5-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and seven RBIs. It was the most hits in a game for any Saluki since Austin Montgomery tied a school record with six against IPFW in 2012, and Lambert's seven RBIs were one shy of the school record.Â
"There's a reason why Greg is in the three-hole," Henderson said. "He's a good hitter, and he obviously had his best night. That's great news for us moving forward. Offensively, for the most part, we had good approaches all night. Connor Kopach had a good night. We saw him do something he hadn't done all year. We took a lot of good swings tonight, and we played well enough to win the game offensively."
SIU, which is 7-2 on the weekends this year, fell to 0-3 in mid-week games, all against Ohio Valley Conference teams. SIU travels to Memphis this weekend for a three-game set against the Tigers. First pitch on Friday is at 6:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: CLYNES, Blake (1-0)
L: Harrison, Brad (0-1)
S: GENDRON, Chad (3)
Batting:
2B: Lambert, Greg 2 ; Blackfan, Logan 1
3B: Kopach, Connor 1
HR: Lambert, Greg 1
RBI: Smith, Ryan 1 ; Lambert, Greg 7 ; Blackfan, Logan 1 ; Mucha, Dyllin 1
SH: Kopach, Connor 1 ; Sabo, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kopach, Connor 2 ; Smith, Ryan 3 ; Lambert, Greg 3 ; Blackfan, Logan 1 ; Farmer, Will 2 ; Sabo, Ryan 1
SB: Kopach, Connor 1 ; Smith, Ryan 1
CS: Lambert, Greg 1
HBP: Sabo, Ryan 1
Batting:
2B: PERKINS, Ryan 1 ; HICKS, Caleb 1 ; ROBINSON, Jaron 1
3B: BAUER, Adam 1
HR: GUTZLER, Brandon 1
RBI: BAUER, Adam 3 ; GUTZLER, Brandon 4 ; HICKS, Caleb 2 ; SIMS, Davis 2 ; ROBINSON, Jaron 1
SF: BAUER, Adam 1 ; GUTZLER, Brandon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MOORE, Kipp 1 ; BAUER, Adam 2 ; GUTZLER, Brandon 1 ; LAWRENCE, Tyler 1 ; PERKINS, Ryan 1 ; BENCE, Aaron 2 ; HICKS, Caleb 2 ; SIMS, Davis 2 ; ROBINSON, Jaron 1
HBP: BENCE, Aaron 1 ; HICKS, Caleb 1 ; SIMS, Davis 1
