Salukis Rally For 8-7 Victory

Wednesday, April 21

Carbondale, Ill.

3 p.m.

Murray State

Southern Illinois

4/21/2010 10:45:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Southern Illinois catcher Brian Bajer delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning to cap off a Saluki rally as Murray State fell, 8-7, Wednesday afternoon at Abe Martin Field.

SIU (17-21) got a one-out double down the right-field line off the bat of Nick Johnson. Following a walk, Bajer delivered the game-winning hit to left field.

MSU (19-18) threatened in the top of the ninth as Zach Noonan and Wes Cunningham singled to start the inning, but SIU shut the door there as the next three hitters were retired on a popup, a strikeout and a foul out.

The Salukis got on the board in the first inning as Blake Pinnon singled into the hole at short and scored on Chris Serritella's two-run home run to right center. A walk, single and fielder's choice put runners on the corners with two outs and SIU added a run as the runner at first got in a run down long enough to allow the runner from third to score.

SIU added a run in the second as Michael Stalter doubled to left center on the first pitch of the inning and later scored on a wild pitch with two outs.

The Breds offense responded in a major way in the third as Jonathan Craycraft was hit by a pitch and scored on Elliot Frey's two-run home run to left field. Noonan walked, but was erased on a fielder's choice off the bat of Cunningham. Cunningham advanced all the way to third on a wild pitch, before scoring on Bryan Propst's double down the right field line. Daniel hill plated Propst as he delivered an RBI single up the middle on an 0-2 pitch. Jason Laws moved Hill to third with a double off the base of the wall in left field. Cory Hodskins drove in the fifth run of the inning with a groundout to short.

MSU added to its lead in the sixth as Hodskins singled to center and went to third on Brandon Elliott's double to right center. Kyle Tiernan pinch hit and drove in a run with a groundout to second. Frey drove in the second run with a line drive off the glove of the pitcher.

SIU battled back in the sixth as a walk and single put two on with out. Austin Montgomery delivered a pinch-hit RBI double to left field, ahead of Chris Murphy's two-run single to right field.

Ben Lady (0-1) took the loss after allowing one run on two hits over two innings. Kellen Candau (3-2) picked up the victory after pitching a perfect eighth inning, striking out one. Bryant George (2) earned the save after allowing no runs on two hits in the ninth.

Frey finished the game by going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Laws went 3-for-5.

The Breds return to the diamond Saturday afternoon as they begin a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series against Eastern Illinois. The series gets underway at 1 p.m. at Reagan Field.