Recap | Salukis finish weekend sweep with doubleheader wins over Bowling Green and Southern Indiana

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Oct 17

2 PM

Baseball

Eastern Illinois University

Oct 24

2 PM

Baseball

Central Methodist University

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois baseball completed a four-game sweep over Bowling Green and Southern Indiana with a win over each team Sunday in Carbondale. The Salukis defeated Bowling Green 8-6 in game one, and shut out Southern Indiana 7-0 in game two, extending their winning streak to seven games in a row.

Game One - Southern Illinois 8, Bowling Green 6

The Falcons (5-5) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first after Caden Parker laced a single through the right side.

After a scoreless bottom of the first, Gabe Petrucelli and John Lemm hit back-to-back solo home runs -- for the second day in a row -- to tie the game at two in the second.

Matt Schark hit Southern's (7-3) third home run of the game with a solo shot, and Jaxon Holder had the first of his three RBIs on the day with a sacrifice fly to put the Salukis up 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth. The effort would be the last for BGSU starter Jacob Turner, who gave up four runs in four innings.

After knocking Saluki starter Meade Johnson out of the game in the top of the sixth with two runs, Bowling Green jumped back in front 5-4 thanks to an RBI double from leadoff man Garrett Wright. Johnson left the game after throwing a season-high 103 pitches, allowing four earned runs, and walking and striking out four.

The Falcons would scratch another run across after an error in the top of the seventh.

A late-inning comeback was once again in the cards for Southern, as the Salukis would score four runs -- all with two outs. Tim Simay started the rally with an RBI single, and Jaxon Holder put SIU back in the lead with a two-run triple. Jordan Bach would provide key insurance with an RBI double as the Dawgs took an 8-6 advantage late into the contest.

Blaine Harpenau (W, 1-0) and Tanner Gerdes (S, 1) closed the game with 2.1 innings of shutout baseball out of the bullpen and earned the win and save, respectively.

Game Two - Southern Illinois 7, Southern Indiana 0

Saluki starter Tyler Timmerman and his counterpart Hiroyuki Yamada kept the game scoreless through three, with just three combined hits given up.

The Salukis finally broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth. John Lemm took a walk and advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt, and Kristian Sprawling brought him home with an RBI single.

Southern would widen the gap in the bottom of the sixth, starting with Cecil Lofton's solo shot to put the Dawgs up by two. Michael Quick drew a walk with the bases loaded and Jaxon Holder tallied his fourth and fifth RBIs of the doubleheader with a single up the middle.

That would be more than enough for Timmerman, who was lifted after six shutout innings. The O'Fallon, Mo., native added six strikeouts and allowed just two hits while not walking a single batter.

With the Salukis leading by five and reliever Al Holguin continuing the strong pitching, Sprawling all but put the game out of reach with a two-run single, bringing him to three RBIs on the day and putting his team up by seven.

Matt Irvine would close out the ninth to give Southern its seventh win in a row. The Salukis did not walk a single batter and gave up just four hits.

Yamada (0-1) took the loss for Southern Indiana. The right-hander allowed three earned runs in five innings while walking and striking out four.

UP NEXT
Southern Illinois returns to action on Tuesday as SIUE comes to Itchy Jones Stadium for a midweek meeting at 3 p.m.

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