CARBONDALE, Ill. --- UC Irvine let the series against Southern Illinois slip away Sunday at Itchy Jones Stadium stranding 16 runners on base in a 10-8 defeat.
The Anteaters (12-10) and Salukis (12-12) traded body blows all game scoring in 10 of the first 13 half innings trading the lead a couple times.
SIU drew first blood in the bottom of the first scoring twice to go up 2-0. The Anteaters got a run back in the second on a two-out
Brendan Brooks RBI single, and two more with two out in the third on smash singles to CF on consecutive pitches to take the 3-2 lead, but in each of the first three Anteater innings, they would leave the bases loaded, something that would catch up to them as the afternoon went on.
The Saluki offense didn't quit putting up four runs in their half of the third on three straight singles to take a 6-3 after three innings. The Anteaters wouldn't go away scoring a single run in the fourth and three more in the fifth, but SIU would answer each rally with single runs to hold the lead at 10-7 after six.
UCI continued to hit putting up a season-high 18 hits, but left runners on in seven of nine innings for a total of 16 on the afternoon and didn't have enough juice to catch up with the Salukis and their backend pitching of Trey McDaniel and Ryan Netemeyer keeping the 'Eaters at bay to take the series for the 10-8 victory.
Both starting pitchers were done by the fourth inning with
Trenton Denholm picking up the loss after he lasted three innings allowing six of the runs, but just two earned. SIU's Brad Harrison was hit around for eight hits in 2.2 innings, but found a way to allow just three runs.
Noah Farmer picked up the win for SIU after a shaky two innings. Ryan Netemeyer picked up his second save of the year and 30th in his career tying the program record.
Eight of the Anteater starters had a hit, six recorded multiple hits led by
Jake Palmer's four-hit doubling, scoring a run, and driving one in.
Nick Anderson, making his first start since earlier this month, had three hits and three RBI as the DH.
Ryan Fitzpatrick tripled, scored twice, and reached base three times to extend his streak to 30 straight games on base.
Six Southern Illinois players had an RBI and seven scored a run led by Alex Lyon scoring three times on the afternoon. The Salukis kept up with 14 hits, 13 of them singles, and were held without a stolen base for just the third time all season.
The Anteaters are now winless in their last four series dropping three and splitting a four-game series at Portland. UC Irvine rides back home for a Tuesday game in Anteater Ballpark against LMU starting at 6:30 p.m. before starting conference play next weekend, also in Anteater Ballpark, hosting Hawai'i beginning Thursday, March 29.
