In the fourth game of its season, the SIU baseball team scored eight runs against the University of Tennessee-Martin’s four in junior pitcher Bryce Sablotny’s first Saluki win.

Saluki scoring happened when the team earned five unanswered runs in the first three innings. The first came in the opening inning, when junior shortstop Ryan Rosthenhausler scored on junior outfielder Donny Duschinsky’s hit to right field. Runs then came pouring in the third inning, when three Salukis scored off of four hits.

The Skyhawks’ first runs came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sablotny walked Skyhawk senior infielder Wade Collins with loaded bases, which allowed UTM senior outfielder Grant Glasser to score. Morris then scored off of junior infielder Luke Sornsen’s single to first on the next play. Morris’ run brought the Skyhawks within three runs, but that was the closest the team came to winning through the whole game.

The Salukis sealed the game when they scored two runs at the top of the ninth inning. Junior infielder Ryan Casillas scored the first of the inning when senior outfielder Brock Harding hit a fly out to center field. Senior catcher Luke Mottashed then hit a single to the right side, which allowed Duschinsky to score on the team’s final out of the inning.

Sablotny pitched five innings, faced 17 batters and struck out three Skyhawks during his first Saluki game. He also allowed two runs and gave up only three hits. Junior relief pitcher Todd Eaton grabbed his second save of the year as he struck out one batter in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the Saluki win.

Before he came to SIU, Sablotny was a member of the Lincoln Land Community College baseball team. During his time at LLCC, he posted a 16-5 record and a 4.13 earned run average.

SIU struggled the past three games with their hitting. However, The Salukis seemed to have found their stride in Tuesday’s game after they posted the eight runs and fifteen hits in their win. The team hit the ball only 19 times in its previous three outings.

SIU’s record improves to 2-2 on the season and 20-9 on their all-time record against the Skyhawks.

The Salukis travel Friday to Jacksonville State University for a three-game series against the Gamecocks. SIU aims to continue its win streak, and the Gamecocks look to post their first win of the 2013 season.