Salukis advance to MVC Tournament Championship Game with 8-5 win over Aces

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Oct 17

2 PM

Baseball

Eastern Illinois University

Oct 24

2 PM

Baseball

Central Methodist University

The Southern Illinois University baseball team defeated Evansville, 8-5 to advance to Sunday's Missouri Valley Conference championship game against Missouri State. It marks SIU's first appearance in the MVC tournament title game since 2012.

SIU scored runs in five of the first six innings, hit three home runs and got a gutsy performance from Jordan Bloemer to power past the Aces.

Grey Epps, Jack Rigoni and Kaeber Rog each homered for the Salukis while Bloemer recorded the longest outing of his Saluki career to stymie the Aces as well as preserve Southern's bullpen for Championship Sunday. Bloemer improved to 3-1 on the season after he went seven and two-third innings and allowed four earned runs on five hits. The Louisville, ill. native retired the side in order in four of the seven complete innings that he pitched. Ben Chapman came on in relief and got the four outs needed to seal the win.

Evansville got on the board first in the day in the top of the second as it used a double, a walk and a fielder's choice to plate a run. The Aces could have struck for more had it not been for Nick Hagedorn, who nailed the lead runner attempting to steal third for the inning's final out.

Southern immediately responded in the bottom half of the frame, with the answer again provided by Grey Epps. Pier Olivier Boucher beat out an infield single and Epps followed with his 14th home run of the season.

In the bottom of the third, Jack Rigoni added to SIU's lead with his second home run of the season to put Southern ahead, 3-1. The Salukis added two more on in the bottom of the fourth after it used a balk and a double steal to plate a pair.

Evansville answered with a two-run home run in the top of the fifth to trim its deficit to two, 5-3.

SIU pushed its lead back to four in the bottom of the fifth after Rigoni singled and Kaeber Rog followed with his 14th home run of the season.

Southern kept putting together good at-bats in the sixth. Jeremy Schork hit a one-out double and Nick Hagedorn brought him around to score with a single.

The Aces used another two-run home run to chase Bloemer in the eighth but that was as close last they could get.

Eight different Salukis recorded at least one hit in the win, which included three with multiple hits. Rigoni led the way with a 3-for-4 day at the dish and Boucher and Schork each had two hits.

The Salukis and the Bears will play in the first of a possible two games tomorrow at Noon.

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