March 26, 2005

Final Stats

By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois (14-9, 2-0) scored 13 runs in the fifth inning of a 18-2 rout of Northern Iowa (9-11, 0-2) earlier today in Missouri Valley Conference action at Abe Martin Field. The game lasted seven innings due to the league's 10-run rule.

SIU's 18 runs were the most scored in a game since the Salukis' 22 at Murray State on Mar. 18, 2004.

UNI trailed, 2-1, after four and a half innings before its pitching and defense went to pieces in the bottom of the fifth. SIU nearly batted around two times, as nine different Salukis scored at least once.

Kevin Koski led off the monster inning with a walk and advanced to second on a single by Nathan Emrick. Matt Brewer followed with a three-run homer, his fifth of the season.

Shortly after Brewer's smash, Grant Gerrard singled, and that was it for UNI starter Zach Jevne.

Mark Bennett relieved Jevne to face Dean Cademartori, who reached on an error by Panther shortstop Patrick Moran. Both Chris McCulloch (pinch ran for Gerrard) and Cademartori moved up a base on an ensuing wild pitch by Bennett, and each touched home on Hunter Harrigan's one-out double to right center.

Tyler Lairson then walked and Ryan Hypke reached on a bunt single to load the bases, before a two-RBI single by Koski knocked in Lairson and Harrigan.

Koski's hit, which came against UNI's second reliever of the inning, Taylor Sinclair, was followed by Emrick's sacrifice fly that plated Hypke.

Then, the Panther defense fell apart, as a trio of two-out errors enabled the Salukis to score five more runs, all of which were unearned.

As if there wasn't enough damage done already, McCulloch's two-run homer in the sixth put the finishing touches on the 18-2 pounding.

Jevne fell to 1-3 on the year after giving up six runs on eight hits in four innings. He also walked three and struck out two.

Between Bennett and Sinclair, the two gave up a combined eight hits and 12 runs (six earned) in two innings.

P.J. Finigan (3-1) picked up his third win of the season after striking out 10 and allowing three hits in seven innings. Finigan has registered double-digit strikeouts in two of his last three starts.

Koski, Emrick, Brewer, Gerrard, Cademartori, Harrigan and Hypke all had two hits apiece to pace SIU, who posted a season-high 16 hits on the day. Brewer also had four RBI, while Harrigan had three.

The Salukis and Panthers conclude their three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m. Bryan Rueger (2-2) is scheduled to pitch for the Dawgs.