CARBONDALE, Ill. --- The Anteaters were shellacked to the tune of an 11-2 loss Saturday afternoon to the Southern Illinois Salukis at Itchy Jones Stadium.
Saturday's contest was in trouble of not even being played due to the weather forecast entering the weekend. The rain clouds held up enough to get the game in, and the Salukis (11-12) jumped on the 'Eaters (12-9) from the get-go.
SIU got a pair of gifts in the first inning as its first hitter reached on an error by shortstop
Christian Koss. Two batters later, Connor Kopach's flyball to centerfielder
Jake Palmer was mishandled, and the next batter Logan Blackfan would double home the first two runs putting the Salukis up 2-0 after one.
The Anteaters got a cleaner inning on defense in the second, but the Saluki bats were already awake scoring two more runs to bounce Anteater starter,
Louis Raymond, after just two innings.
Southern Illinois got things going once again in the fourth thanks to a leadoff home run from Brad Harrison. The Anteater defense faltered again this time behind
Cole Spear as a sharp single to center caromed away from
Jake Palmer and sent leadoff hitter Nikola Vasic off to the races scoring on his hit to make it a 7-0 Saluki lead.
SIU added an eighth run in the inning and score three more times in their final two at-bats for an 11-0 lead before the 'Eaters woke up with two outs in the ninth to score its only two runs on RBI singles from
Brendan Brooks and
Griffin Mazur completing the 11-2 defeat.
SIU got more than enough offense for starter Jamison Steege who tossed a two-hitter over seven innings walking three and striking out three to up his record on the year to 3-1.
Louis Raymond fell to 1-3 allow just two earned runs of the four he relented.
Jake Lachemann had the best day on the mound for the 'Eaters throwing 2.2 scoreless innings which included his first four strikeouts as an Anteater.
Vasic and Blackfan each drove home three for the Salukis. Connor Kopach had two hits and two runs. Addison Fugitt scored twice to go with two stolen bases. Brad Harrison homered as part of his two-hit day.
The 'Eaters avoided their first shutout of the season with two late runs.
Brendan Brooks provided that run-scoring infield single, and he had two of the 'Eaters' five hits on the day including his first career extra-base hit, a double.
The series evens with the Southern Illinois victory Saturday, and the squads face off Sunday, March 25 to claim the series victory. The game has been moved up to a 10:00 a.m. Pacific time start, 12:00 p.m. locally
