Recap | Trey Cutchen’s Ninth Inning RBIs Lead Salukis Past Belmont in Opener, 7-6

NASHVILLE – Southern Illinois baseball needed a late rally for the second-straight game, and it was Trey Cutchen who delivered once again for the Salukis in the ninth inning as SIU opened its series against Belmont with a 7-6 victory Friday night at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville.

Facing a 6-5 deficit and down to its final out in the ninth inning, the Salukis would look to Cutchen to be the hero once more. With two runners on base and a 2-2 count at the plate, Cutchen connected on his third hit of the game as he lined a ball down the line in left field to bring home the go-ahead runs to cap off the rally.

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With two on, two outs, and a 2-2 count -- @cutchen_trey puts the Salukis on top in the top of the ninth with a two-run double!#Salukis | #DawgBall pic.twitter.com/mFksFqYAhS
— Saluki Baseball (@SIU_Baseball) April 19, 2024

It was Jordan Bach and Hesston Gray who kickstarted the rally for the Salukis (22-16, 6-7 MVC). After a pair of groundouts to open the ninth, Bach singled to left before Gray shot a ball through the right side to put the tying run in scoring position.

Saluki right-hander Anthony Pron would close out the game with ease as he retired all three Bruin batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth to earn his team-leading sixth save of the season.

Southern had to rally throughout the game on three separate occasions to put itself in a position to win late. Trailing 2-0 after one, Gray connected on his ninth home run of the season to cut the lead in half. Ryan Birr who started just his fifth game of the season would tie things up in the second with a two-out double to score Cutchen.

Bach put the Dawgs ahead for the first time in the third with his fourth homer of the year, but the Bruins scored three in the bottom of the third to regain the lead.

Shorthanded to begin the series on the mound, Southern would get three innings from left-hander Alec Nigut. Belmont (20-18, 7-6 MVC) would string together seven hits and score four earned runs before Shane Wilhelm would get the call from the bullpen.

Wilhelm allowed only one run on two hits in three innings before Cole Koonce was able to shut down the Bruin order over the seventh and eighth innings to improve to 2-0 on the season.

SIU outhit Belmont 10-9 in the game led by Cutchen's 3-for-5 day at the plate. Bach, Gray, and Birr each added two hits apiece in the win.

Will Pryor would take the no-decision after going six strong innings and falling a strikeout shy of tying his career high with 10 punchouts. Hank Liss (2-2) took the loss for Belmont after allowing two runs on four hits in the eighth and ninth.

UP NEXT
The Salukis and Bruins will square off for game two of the series on Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN Plus.

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