Salukis Keep Rolling, Crush Lindenwood

By Ryan Grieser, Sporter Reporter|April 5, 2023

Senior Michael Baird, 31, of Parker, Colo. pitches on Friday, March 23, 2018, during the Saluki’s 2-6 loss against University of California, Irvine at Itchy Jones Stadium. (Mary Newman | @MaryNewmanDE)

The SIU baseball team continued its recent trend of ending games early today by dismantling Lindenwood 14-2.

The Salukis put up 14 runs in six innings to send Lindenwood packing in their first of nine straight upcoming home games.

SIU managed to club 4 home runs, with usual power hitting suspects Nathan Bandy and Steven Loden joined by Ryan Rodriguez and Matt Schark.

The Dawgs forced Lindenwood into a quick three-up, three-down at the top of the first to start the game off strong. Bandy’s home run came on Lindenwood’s second pitch of the game, while Rodriguez’s would come later in the first.

Southern made quick work of Lindenwood again in the top of the second, and though Lindenwood managed to get a hit, it didn’t matter. In the bottom of the inning, Matt Schark crushed a full-count homer. Schark would be joined in the scoring by Bandy and Pierre-Olivier Boucher, who scored off of a Cole Christman single and a bases-loaded walk, respectively.

After an uneventful third inning, the Dawgs were back at in the bottom of the fourth. A Mathieu Vallee single brought Loden home, while a Bandy double would send Nate Lyons, Vallee, and Christman to home plate.

The sixth inning, which would be the Salukis last chance for offense, would prove to be the most fruitful of the game. Lyons scored again on a Rodriguez single down, and Boucher scored on the next play from a throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt.

Steven Loden mashed his team-lead-tying ninth home run of the season, batting in Kaeber Rog and Rodriguez to finish off the scoring for SIU.

Lindenwood had their most batters see the plate in the top of the seventh, but it didn’t matter, as they didn’t score.

The Dawgs pitching staff platooned their way to a dominant victory, with 6 pitchers combining to only give up two runs. Jake Combs started the game and picked up the win by pitching only an inning, while Jordan Bloemer, Ben Riffe, Wilhelm Shane also pitched at least an inning. Matthew Steidl and Kaden Peterson each pitched under an inning and finished the game off for SIU.

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SIU will return to Itchy Jones Stadium this Thursday, Friday and Saturday for a series against Belmont, who sit just one game behind SIU in the MVC standings.

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Sports Reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at [email protected]