|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
   |
|
March 2, 2008
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois avoided a series sweep by salvaging a 5-3 victory over Northern Illinois on a warm and windy Sunday afternoon at Abe Martin Field. The Huskies ended their first week of play with a 2-3 record while SIU improved to 3-4 on the year. The Salukis struck first with a run in their initial at-bat when they loaded the bases and a throwing error on a pickoff attempt at third allowed Scott Elmendorf to cross the plate for an early 1-0 lead. SIU extended its lead to 5-0 on two-run home runs by Mark Kelly in the third and Tyler Bullock in the fifth. Justin Behm (Downers Grove, Ill./North) put the Huskies on the scoreboard in the sixth with a RBI single that scored Dave Reynolds (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) that began a three-run outburst. Later in the frame Pat Minogue (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central) and Bobby Stevens (Chicago, Ill./Guerin Prep) each added RBI singles of their own to trim the SIU lead to two at 5-3. The Huskies loaded the bases but were unable to push across any more runs in the inning. The Huskies mounted a threat in the eighth by putting two runners on with one out and placed the leadoff man aboard in the ninth but could not draw closer against Saluki closer Bryant George. "We battled back but we left too many on base and didn't get the big hit when we needed it today," said head coach Ed Mathey. "Walks hurt us and the two-run home run is tough to defend. That's baseball." The trio of Reynolds, Behm and Tim Kamin (Oak Lawn, Ill./Richards) paced the Huskies with two hits apiece. Zach Oates (Wheaton, Ill./North) made his first collegiate start and took the loss (0-1) for NIU. David Kington (1-0) earned the win for the Salukis by throwing 5.2 innings before George added his first save of the year. NIU resumes play Friday, March 7 with the first of a four-game series at Texas State that begins a stretch of 10 games in eight days on the Huskies' spring trip to the Lone Star State. HUSKIE TRACKS -NIU-
|
|
|
|||||||
 |
|
|
