Whitmer's complete game leads SIU to 2-1 win at Indiana State

Friday, April 14

Terre Haute, Ind.

5:30 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

18-17, 0

Indiana State

15-15, 0

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

04/14/2017 | 10:19:00 | Baseball

Box Score

By: John Lock

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Chad Whitmer struck out a career high 13 batters in a complete game, and the Southern Illinois baseball team won the series opener at Indiana State, 2-1. Whitmer retired 15 of the final 16 batters he faced.

"That was a great college baseball game," SIU head coach Ken Henderson said. "That's what you expect on Friday night in the league. Chad Whitmer was as good as he's ever been--one walk and 13 strikeouts. You're going to win a lot of games doing that. He was the story of the game."

Indiana State (15-15, 2-2 MVC) put two runners on in the first inning with a walk and a double. Whitmer got out of that jam, but the Sycamores took the lead with a solo home run in the second inning. After allowing three base runners in the game's first seven hitters, Whitmer allowed just three more the rest of the game.

In last week's start, Whitmer allowed seven earned runs at Wichita State. Tonight, he threw his best game in a Saluki uniform—his first complete game with a career-high 13 strikeouts and only one walk.

"It started a week ago," Whitmer said. "After the bad loss at Wichita, I really focused in on my mechanics. I can absolutely tell you that's what got me tonight. I was working on mechanics all week just to prepare for tonight, and it translated over. I started getting in a rhythm. It just clicked, and I didn't look back from there. That's a good hitting team, but I was able to locate. It comes down to getting ahead of guys and being the aggressor. I got pretty fired up there. I don't know what got into me, but I need to do that every start."

After Indiana State's homer in the second, Greg Lambert followed up with a solo home run in the top of the third to tie the game. SIU (18-17, 5-2 MVC) hit several balls hard throughout the game, but the Sycamores made a slew of excellent defensive plays behind their ace, Jeremy McKinney, who pitched into the seventh and allowed just one run.

"It was a deceiving night," Henderson said of the offense. "We put some barrels on some balls and just hit it right at them. Credit them for making some plays. Their third baseman robbed Nick Hutchins three times. I'm not disappointed in our offense at all. It was better than the score indicates, but that's what you're going to run into on Friday nights. You're facing everybody's top guy.'

The game stayed tied 1-1 until the eighth inning. Connor Kopach pushed a perfect bunt past the pitcher with one out. Kopach ranks fifth in the NCAA in stolen bases, and Indiana State immediately threw over to first. The throw got a way, and Kopach moved all the way to third on the error. Ryan Smith broke the tie with a sacrifice fly.

"Nobody puts more pressure on people than Connor Kopach," Henderson said. "That was the best bunt of the year. It surprised me, so I'm sure it surprised the heck out of them. Then, he puts pressure on them, and they make a mistake."

With Whitmer, an Indiana native, dominating on the hill, the game was over. He struck out two in a perfect eighth and two more in the ninth. Whitmer retired 15 of the final 16 batters he faced. His 13 strikeouts were the most for any Saluki pitcher since P.J. Finigan--now Southern's pitching coach--had 17 against Chicago State in 2005.

"The first inning, he didn't look very good," Henderson said. "He just got better and better every inning he went out. The eighth and the ninth innings were, in my opinion, the best two innings of the day. That's what you want from your Friday guy. He feels it and start smelling it, and we get him the run, and he shut the door in the ninth. That's as good as it gets."

Due to forecasted rain on Sunday, SIU and Indiana State will play a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 1 p.m. CT. Michael Baird will start the opener for SIU, and Joey Marciano will start the second game.

"Enjoy the momentum you get from this one, but we have to turn around and do it twice again tomorrow," Henderson said. "It will be a long day, but it's the right decision based on the forecast."