Saturday, March 7
Carbondale, Ill.
2 p.m.
Southern Illinois University
9-6
4
vs
3
Northern Illinois
7-7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Northern Illinois
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
3
8
0
Southern Illinois
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
2
4
11
2
Salukis walk off NIU again, clinch series
03/07/2020 | 5:31:00 | Baseball
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The SIU baseball team stunned NIU with a two-run ninth in a 4-3 Saluki win on Saturday afternoon at Itchy Jones Stadium. The Salukis led 2-0 headed into the ninth inning, but NIU hit a one-out three-run homer to take a 3-2 lead. But Philip Archer drove home the game-tying run for SIU in the bottom half, and Austin Ulick got a ball on the ground to score the game-winning run from third base.Â
"This game is a testament to the toughness of our team," SIU head coach Lance Rhodes said. "It would have been so easy to cave in the bottom of the ninth. It started with a huge at-bat by Neville, and then we just passed it along. We just found a way."
SIU's pitching was outstanding all night, starting with five shutout innings from Brad Harrison. The defense was solid behind him, turning pair of double plays. The Salukis (9-6) had traffic on the bases but couldn't get a knockout punch, settling for RBI groundouts in the third and fifth innings to take a 2-0 lead.Â
Harrison gave way to Matthew Steidl, who has been outstanding for SIU all season. Steidl came into the weekend as one of only 7 pitchers in the nation with at least 15 innings who hadn't given up a run. And he kept rolling, extending that streak to 18 innings headed into the ninth.Â
But NIU (7-7) got a couple soft singles to open the ninth inning. The Huskies tried to bunt the runners into scoring position, but Steidl got them to pop out on the attempt. NIU hadn't hit an extra-base hit all day, but NIU's seven-hole hitter Dylan Lonteen smashed a first-pitch no-doubter to left field to silence the crowd of 462 at Itchy Jones Stadium.Â
"Honestly, on a day like today with the wind blowing in, the last thing on my mind was that they were going to hit a home run," Rhodes said. "It shocked us a little bit. Now, could we get over that initial shock and tie it up? We have played a lot of one-run games this season, and I think those built up and prepared us for a day like today, to be able to come back and fight through that adversity."
NIU threatened for more, putting runners on first and second with one out, but SIU freshman Kyle Dixon caught NIU's Brendan Joyce on an inside move to second base, then got a groundout to escape the jam.
"The pickoff move came on his own," Rhodes said of Dixon. "That shows the savviness he has as a freshman. He's been one of the most exciting players on our team in terms of growth from the fall until now."
Nick Neville led off the ninth with a single through the right side. J.T. Weber moved him over with a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt (Weber also singled earlier in the game on a perfectly placed bunt). And Phil Archer tied the game with a line drive single up the middle to score Neville.Â
Rhodes made two moves that quickly paid off. He put Addison Fugitt in to run for Archer at first, and he pinch hit Lucas Danielewicz, a freshman. Danielewicz roped a single to left field; and Fugitt -- one of the fastest players in the country -- went first-to-third on the base hit to left with one out. Austin Ulick worked a full count before getting down a soft roller that NIU couldn't handle; and it wouldn't have mattered anyway with Fugitt headed towards home on contact.Â
"It shows us as coaches and validates that our guys are mentally tough," Rhodes said. "We are growing as a team, and we truly feel like, until the 27th out is made, we have a chance to win a game."
SIU has won each of the first two games of the series on walkoffs and has clinched the series. The Salukis go for the sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT at Itchy Jones Stadium.Â
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"This game is a testament to the toughness of our team," SIU head coach Lance Rhodes said. "It would have been so easy to cave in the bottom of the ninth. It started with a huge at-bat by Neville, and then we just passed it along. We just found a way."
SIU's pitching was outstanding all night, starting with five shutout innings from Brad Harrison. The defense was solid behind him, turning pair of double plays. The Salukis (9-6) had traffic on the bases but couldn't get a knockout punch, settling for RBI groundouts in the third and fifth innings to take a 2-0 lead.Â
Harrison gave way to Matthew Steidl, who has been outstanding for SIU all season. Steidl came into the weekend as one of only 7 pitchers in the nation with at least 15 innings who hadn't given up a run. And he kept rolling, extending that streak to 18 innings headed into the ninth.Â
But NIU (7-7) got a couple soft singles to open the ninth inning. The Huskies tried to bunt the runners into scoring position, but Steidl got them to pop out on the attempt. NIU hadn't hit an extra-base hit all day, but NIU's seven-hole hitter Dylan Lonteen smashed a first-pitch no-doubter to left field to silence the crowd of 462 at Itchy Jones Stadium.Â
"Honestly, on a day like today with the wind blowing in, the last thing on my mind was that they were going to hit a home run," Rhodes said. "It shocked us a little bit. Now, could we get over that initial shock and tie it up? We have played a lot of one-run games this season, and I think those built up and prepared us for a day like today, to be able to come back and fight through that adversity."
NIU threatened for more, putting runners on first and second with one out, but SIU freshman Kyle Dixon caught NIU's Brendan Joyce on an inside move to second base, then got a groundout to escape the jam.
"The pickoff move came on his own," Rhodes said of Dixon. "That shows the savviness he has as a freshman. He's been one of the most exciting players on our team in terms of growth from the fall until now."
Nick Neville led off the ninth with a single through the right side. J.T. Weber moved him over with a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt (Weber also singled earlier in the game on a perfectly placed bunt). And Phil Archer tied the game with a line drive single up the middle to score Neville.Â
Rhodes made two moves that quickly paid off. He put Addison Fugitt in to run for Archer at first, and he pinch hit Lucas Danielewicz, a freshman. Danielewicz roped a single to left field; and Fugitt -- one of the fastest players in the country -- went first-to-third on the base hit to left with one out. Austin Ulick worked a full count before getting down a soft roller that NIU couldn't handle; and it wouldn't have mattered anyway with Fugitt headed towards home on contact.Â
"It shows us as coaches and validates that our guys are mentally tough," Rhodes said. "We are growing as a team, and we truly feel like, until the 27th out is made, we have a chance to win a game."
SIU has won each of the first two games of the series on walkoffs and has clinched the series. The Salukis go for the sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT at Itchy Jones Stadium.Â
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dixon, Kyle (1-0)
L: MICHAELS, Tristan (0-3)
Batting:
HR: LONTEEN, Dylan 1
RBI: LONTEEN, Dylan 3
SH: BARNES, Matt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DUNHAM, Jake 1 ; LARSON, Jordan 1 ; LONTEEN, Dylan 1
SB: LONTEEN, Dylan 1 ; JOYCE, Brendan 1
CS: JOYCE, Brendan 1
PO: JOYCE, Brendan 1
Batting:
2B: Martin, Evan 1
RBI: Weber, J.T. 1 ; Archer, Philip 2 ; Ulick, Austin 1
SH: Weber, J.T. 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Hudson, Brad 1 ; Neville, Nick 1 ; Fugitt, Addison 1 ; Martin, Evan 1
SB: Walters, Ian 1 ; Archer, Philip 1 ; Martin, Evan 2
HBP: Martin, Evan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
OF
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