Southern Illinois University
31-12, 8-4
Valparaiso
14-25, 3-9
This comeback bid came up shy: Valpo 11 SIU 10 Sunday
05/01/2022 | 4:39:00 | Baseball
Carbondale, Ill. … The day after they scored a seven-run comeback win, the Salukis couldn't score an eight-run comeback victory. Valparaiso (14-25, 3-9) built an early 8-0 lead and held off SIU in the ninth to win 11-10 Sunday at Itchy Jones Stadium. The loss, coupled with Evansville's win over Bradley, dropped SIU out of a first-place tie with the Aces into sole possession of second place in the Missouri Valley Conference.
The Salukis (31-12, 8-4) scored three runs in the ninth inning to draw within one, 11-10. The game end with Valpo closer Bobby Nowak striking out Saluki star J.T. Weber with runners at first and second bases.
All three of SIU's ninth inning runs scored on Evan Martin's double up the right field line. Martin's third hit of the game scored Nathan Bandy (fielder's choice), pinch runner Sam Creed (Zack Jensen singled) and Grey Epps (walk). Â
Nowak earned an MVC co-leading eighth save. Valpo starter Griffin McCluskey earned the victory (3-2). Saluki starter Ben Chapman suffered the loss (1-4).
Chapman was charged with six runs (five of them earned runs) as Valparaiso built an 8-0 lead in the first three innings. He allowed two, two run home runs to Kyle Schmack (6) and Alex Ryan (1) in the first two innings.
SIU cut the deficit to 8-3 on RBI singles by Jack Rigoni and Ryan Rodriguez plus a sacrifice fly by Kaeber Rog in the third inning.
The Beacons extended the lead to 10-3 in the fifth inning when they scored two runs on two hits off Saluki reliever Jordan Gould.
After Bandy's RBI single in the bottom of the fifth made it 10-4 Valpo, Southern drew within three (10-7) with three runs in the bottom of the 7th inning. Jensen doubled in Rodriguez, who had reached on a fielder's choice. Then, Grey Epps singled to center field driving in Bandy, who had walked. Epps continued to second base, and Jensen scored when Ryan misplayed Epps' hit for the Beacons' third error of the game.
After SIU stranded a runner in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Beacons scored what proved to be the winning run in the top of the ninth inning when Saluki reliever Matthew Steidl walked Ryan Maka with the bases loaded to give Valparaiso an 11-7 lead.
Though it lost the game, SIU still won the series two games to one. SIU has won all four of its MVC series this season and hosts Murray State Tuesday in a non-conference game at 6pm.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McCluskey, Griffin (2-2)
L: Chapman, Ben (1-4)
S: Nowak, Bobby (8)
Batting:
2B: Renfro, Brady 2 ; Tucker, Nolan 1
HR: Schmack, Kyle 1 ; Ryan, Alex 1
RBI: Thurston, Alex 1 ; Schmack, Kyle 2 ; Tucker, Nolan 1 ; Maka, Ryan 2 ; Kapers, Jake 1 ; Ryan, Alex 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Hannahs, Kaleb 1 ; Schmack, Kyle 2 ; Renfro, Brady 1 ; Tucker, Nolan 2 ; Drudge, Jeremy 2 ; Maka, Ryan 1 ; Kapers, Jake 1 ; Ryan, Alex 1
SB: Drudge, Jeremy 1 ; Maka, Ryan 1
Batting:
2B: Rodriguez, Ryan 1 ; Jensen, Zack 1 ; Martin, Evan 1
RBI: Rigoni, Jack 1 ; Rog, Kaeber 1 ; Rodriguez, Ryan 1 ; Bandy, Nathan 1 ; Jensen, Zack 1 ; Epps, Grey 2 ; Martin, Evan 3
SF: Rog, Kaeber 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rigoni, Jack 1 ; Rodriguez, Ryan 2 ; Bandy, Nathan 2 ; Jensen, Zack 1 ; Creed, Sam 1 ; Epps, Grey 1 ; Martin, Evan 1 ; Hagedorn, Nick 1
