Saturday, April 17
Peoria, Ill.
1 p.m.
Southern Illinois University
25-7, 5-5
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Bradley
10-14, 4-5
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Southern Illinois
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Bradley
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7
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Bradley takes doubleheader from SIU
04/17/2021 | 7:58:00 | Baseball
PEORIA, Ill. - Bradley won both ends of a doubleheader against the SIU baseball team on Saturday afternoon at Dozer Park. After the Braves won the first game 2-1, Connor O'Brien hit a walk-off solo homer in the bottom of the ninth to win the second game for Bradley 3-2.Â
"In both games, we threw the ball extremely well. For the most part, we played good defense. We just couldn't get anything going offensively," SIU head coach Lance Rhodes said. "It's frustrating. Our swing-and-miss was extremely high. We have to be better putting together more competitive at-bats and stringing hard contact together."
SIU's starting pitching was outstanding in both games. Noah Farmer started the first game, a seven-inning game, and didn't allow an earned run over five innings, and Kyle Back pitched a scoreless sixth. In the second game, Brad Harrison was at his best, striking out 10 over eight innings. He allowed just two runs.
"They gave us everything we could ask for," Rhodes said. "Noah settled in and pitched well, and Brad matched it on the back end. if we can get that every time, we're going to be in good shape."
But the Salukis made two errors on one play to set up both of Bradley's runs in the first game. In the third inning, Brendan Dougherty hit a grounder to shortstop with a runner on second base. Nick Neville tried to get the runner advancing to third but the ball got away, and the Salukis threw the ball away again trying to get the runner then advancing home. Dougherty ended up on third base and scored three pitches later. The 2-0 lead was all Bradley needed.Â
"Nick made the right decision to throw that ball to third base. I would have loved to have the lead out and take a runner out of scoring position," Rhodes said. "Other than that one play, we played pretty well defensively in both games."
Matt Hamilton started the game for Bradley and went 6.2 innings, allowing six hits and just one run while striking out five and walking just one. SIU (25-8, 5-6 MVC) forced Bradley (11-14, 5-5 MVC) to go to its closer Theron Denlinger in the seventh with runners on the corners and two outs, but Brad Hudson got caught leaning off third base on a first-and-third steal and was picked off to end the game.Â
Bradley's good pitching continued in the second game. With Harrison pitching well for SIU, Pinckneyville native Grant Jausel got his first start of the season and matched Harrison for four innings, striking out eight. Taylor Catton relieved Jausel and gave up a homer to J.T. Weber, but he retired 13-straight SIU hitters to end the game, before O'Brien won the game in the bottom of the ninth with a one-out solo homer. SIU's offense, which came into the weekend leading the nation in runs scored, was limited to just three runs in 16 innings on the doubleheader.
"A week ago, we had nine hitters swinging the bat well, and now nine hitters are cold," Rhodes said. "It's tough, but we have to flip it tomorrow. Tomorrow is a huge game. it won't be easy. They're pitching it tough. We need to pass the baton and string together competitive ABs."
SIU, which won on Friday, trailed the series two games to one. The Salukis will try to salvage a split on Sunday at 1 p.m. Ben Chapman will take the mound for SIU.Â
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"In both games, we threw the ball extremely well. For the most part, we played good defense. We just couldn't get anything going offensively," SIU head coach Lance Rhodes said. "It's frustrating. Our swing-and-miss was extremely high. We have to be better putting together more competitive at-bats and stringing hard contact together."
SIU's starting pitching was outstanding in both games. Noah Farmer started the first game, a seven-inning game, and didn't allow an earned run over five innings, and Kyle Back pitched a scoreless sixth. In the second game, Brad Harrison was at his best, striking out 10 over eight innings. He allowed just two runs.
"They gave us everything we could ask for," Rhodes said. "Noah settled in and pitched well, and Brad matched it on the back end. if we can get that every time, we're going to be in good shape."
But the Salukis made two errors on one play to set up both of Bradley's runs in the first game. In the third inning, Brendan Dougherty hit a grounder to shortstop with a runner on second base. Nick Neville tried to get the runner advancing to third but the ball got away, and the Salukis threw the ball away again trying to get the runner then advancing home. Dougherty ended up on third base and scored three pitches later. The 2-0 lead was all Bradley needed.Â
"Nick made the right decision to throw that ball to third base. I would have loved to have the lead out and take a runner out of scoring position," Rhodes said. "Other than that one play, we played pretty well defensively in both games."
Matt Hamilton started the game for Bradley and went 6.2 innings, allowing six hits and just one run while striking out five and walking just one. SIU (25-8, 5-6 MVC) forced Bradley (11-14, 5-5 MVC) to go to its closer Theron Denlinger in the seventh with runners on the corners and two outs, but Brad Hudson got caught leaning off third base on a first-and-third steal and was picked off to end the game.Â
Bradley's good pitching continued in the second game. With Harrison pitching well for SIU, Pinckneyville native Grant Jausel got his first start of the season and matched Harrison for four innings, striking out eight. Taylor Catton relieved Jausel and gave up a homer to J.T. Weber, but he retired 13-straight SIU hitters to end the game, before O'Brien won the game in the bottom of the ninth with a one-out solo homer. SIU's offense, which came into the weekend leading the nation in runs scored, was limited to just three runs in 16 innings on the doubleheader.
"A week ago, we had nine hitters swinging the bat well, and now nine hitters are cold," Rhodes said. "It's tough, but we have to flip it tomorrow. Tomorrow is a huge game. it won't be easy. They're pitching it tough. We need to pass the baton and string together competitive ABs."
SIU, which won on Friday, trailed the series two games to one. The Salukis will try to salvage a split on Sunday at 1 p.m. Ben Chapman will take the mound for SIU.Â
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hamilton, Matt (3-0)
L: Farmer, Noah (4-2)
S: Denlinger, Theron (3)
Batting:
2B: Neville, Nick 1
RBI: Weber, J.T. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Neville, Nick 1
CS: Hudson, Brad 1
Batting:
2B: Bolt, Dan 1 ; Rice, Keaton 1 ; Chatterton, Jackson 1
RBI: Bolt, Dan 1
SH: Valk, Carl 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dougherty, Brendan 1 ; Chatterton, Jackson 1
HBP: Vogel, Ryan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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