Big innings cost SIU in 17-7 loss at Wichita

Sunday, April 9

Wichita, Kan.

1 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

16-17, 4-2

Wichita State

16-15, 2-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Southern Illinois	1	1	0	2	0	3	0	7	8	3
Wichita State	2	0	8	0	6	0	1	17	13	5

04/09/2017 | 7:18:00 | Baseball

Box Score

By: By John Lock | SIUSalukis.com

WICHITA, Kan. - Wichita State scored eight runs in the third inning and six more in the fifth on its way to a 17-7 run-rule win over the Southern Illinois baseball team on Sunday afternoon in Eck Stadium. The Shockers won the three-game series, 2-1, in the final Missouri Valley Conference series between the teams.

SIU pitching struggled all day, giving away 10 walks and five hit batsmen. The Shockers (16-15, 2-1 MVC) only managed one extra-base hit all game--a first-inning home run--but scored 17 runs in seven innings with the 15 free bases, 12 singles and three SIU errors. Southern (16-17, 4-2 MVC) trotted out seven different pitchers in the seven-inning game, and all seven gave away at least one free pass.

"We didn't pitch well enough to give ourselves a chance," SIU head coach Ken Henderson said. "When you give up 15 free passes, you're going to get hammered. Nobody we ran out there pounded the zone, and that's the game."

The Saluki offense stayed hot. After scoring 11 runs in the final six innings yesterday, SIU put up eight hits and seven runs in today's seven-inning game. The Salukis scored 18 runs inthe final two games of the series, the most in back-to-back games since the first weekend in March. Nick Hutchins was 2-for-3 with two doubles, and Ryan Sabo was 2-for-2 with a double. SIU barreled up several more balls that were right at WSU defenders.

"I liked our offense today," Henderson said. "We only got eight hits, but we hit a lot of balls hard. These last two games have probably been our best back-to-back days on offense all year. We hit balls back up the middle and hit balls where they were pitched. Give Wichita credit. The center fielder ran down a couple balls over his head, and the third baseman made a couple plays. But we didn't ABs away, even when we got down. We were down 16-4 and still battled."

Wichita handed SIU a run in the first inning, committing three errors in the first two batters of the game. After Connor Kopach and Ryan Smith both reached on errors, a wild pickoff throw to first gave SIU a 1-0 lead. Wichita took a 2-1 lead in the bottom half with a one-out walk that was followed by a home run, but SIU tied the game in the top of the second. Hutchins led off with a double, and Will Farmer moved him to third with a grounder to the right side. Sabo hit a sac fly to score Hutchins.

Wichita State blew open the game with an eight-run third inning. After a quick out, the next seven WSU hitters reached by either a single, walk or hit-by-pitch. After a sacrifice fly, the next three batters also reached. In all, Wichita had six hits, two walks and two hit batsmen in the inning, while SIU used three pitchers to try to stop the bleeding.

Southern's offense scored twice more in the top of the fourth. Hutchins doubled again, and Sabo brought him home again with a double of his own. Dyllin Mucha scored Sabo with an RBI single.

Wichita opened the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back singles, and the Shockers went on to score six runs in the inning without the benefit of another hit. The Salukis walked four and hit one over the next six batters, and an error brought in the fifth and sixth runs of the inning. Trailing 16-4, SIU continued to battle at the plate. With two outs in the top of the sixth, Ryan Sabo singled; Dyllin Mucha walked; and Connor Kopach singled to load the bases. All three runs scored when Wichita dropped a fly ball.

In MVC games, there is a 10-run rule after seven innings, and WSU ended the game with a run in the bottom of the seventh. A single and two more hit batsmen loaded the bases, and the game-ending run scored on a throwing error.

The Salukis host Southeast Missouri on Tuesday before next weekend's series at Indiana State. Tuesday's game will be streamed through ESPN3.

"We have to build on the positives," Henderson said. "Build on what the offense did. We just need to figure it out on the bump because we didn't give ourselves a chance to win."