Daily Egyptian

By: Jack Robinson

The Murray State University baseball team scored nine runs over in three innings Wednesday to beat the Salukis 9-8.

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The SIU men’s baseball team traveled Wednesday to Kentucky to play Murray State University. The game was originally scheduled Tuesday but was postponed because of poor weather. With the loss, the Salukis are 5-6 on the season, and Murray State improved it’s record to 5-7.

The Salukis junior pitcher Bryce Sablotny started his third game of the season and pitched a no-decision loss. Sablotny pitched 4.1 innings and allowed five hits and two runs. The Racers started Cody Maerz in his first game of the season where he allowed one run and struck out one batter in three innings.

Although the Salukis lost the game, they continued to play well offensively. The SIU offense found a surge in the top of the fourth inning when it scored five runs off of two hits. Junior right fielder Austin Montgomery, junior infielder Cody Daily, junior infielder Jake Welch and junior catcher Matt Jones were Salukis with hits in the fifth inning slug fest that helped the team jump to a 6-0 lead.

The Racers responded by scoring runs in three straight innings. In the bottom of the fifth inning, SIU’s Sablotny allowed two runs off of two hits and walked the bases loaded . SIU baseball coach Ken Henderson decided to replace Sablotny with junior right handed pitcher Matt Murphy who gave the Racer’s five unearned runs and the lead.

The Salukis then made a quick comeback in the seventh inning when Montgomery hit a single to right field to score both Jones and junior shortstop Ryan Rosthenausler to tie the game at 8-8.

Murray State responded in the bottom of the seventh inning as MSU junior outfielder Brandon Eggenschwiler hit a single to center field and senior outfielder Paul Ritzheimer scored the game-winning run to lead 9-8.

In the top of the ninth inning MSU senior pitcher Will Handlin posted one strikeout, allowed zero runs and recorded the save.

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The game against MSU was the Salukis’ third game in four days.

In each of the last eight games, the Saluki offense has scored at least four runs. Austin Montgomery who had three hits and two RBIs led the Salukis’ offense Wednesday. The team’s best day offensively was Feb. 23 against Jacksonville State University when the Salukis scored 12 runs.

The Salukis start their next three-game series against Northern Illinois University on Friday, March 8 at 2 p.m. in Carbondale.

Jack Robinson can be reached at [email protected] or 536-3311 ext.268