After freshman pitcher Tyler Choate had trouble finding the plate in the first inning, it looked like it would be a long day for the SIU baseball team.

Down 4-1 going into the bottom of the fourth, the Salukis (20-6) gathered eight runs off nine hits en route to a 13-8 win against Tennessee-Martin (7-16) Wednesday.

Senior designated hitter Kevin Koski went 3-for-6 yesterday and started the comeback with a hit off Skyhawk’s starting pitcher, Eric Walker. The single into shallow center scored junior Chris Crank.

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After freshman center fielder Aaron Roberts singled again to load the bases, junior right fielder Adam Hills drove in another run.

Roberts and Koski then scored on a hit to second base by junior left fielder Dean Cademartori. He later scored along with freshman shortstop Michael Finigan after a double by Lairson.

Cademartori was 2-for-4 with a run scored and four RBI.

He said he was lucky to get a piece of the ball on his two-RBI single, but it got the job done.

“When things are going good they say hits are contagious and the ball had eyes as we like to say,” Cademartori said. “Scoring eight runs in an inning is a big game breaker. It’s really nice to see people come out and step up because it gives everyone a big confidence boost.”

The eight-run inning lasted so long that Saluki junior pitcher Brad Lawrence had to start warming up again.

Lawrence came in during the first inning after Choate struggled with his command. Choate hit the leadoff hitter and walked a pair of Skyhawks.

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Choate allowed two hits and four earned runs in his two-thirds inning of work. He balked twice in the inning and the second one sent assistant coach Greg Andrews over the top – Andrews was tossed by third base umpire Shane Alexander after getting a little too animated.

After Choate was pulled, Lawrence got the Salukis out of the jam.

He pitched 4.1 innings and picked up his second win of the season. He allowed one run off a hit and four walks.

SIU coach Dan Callahan said he was disappointed with the amount of people the Salukis walked.

“I’d give Brad Lawrence a ‘C’ because he threw up some zeros and only allowed one run, but had had too many walks and too much two-out damage,” Callahan said. “When you walk 10 guys you got some issues.”

Tennessee-Martin inched closer and closer but Saluki senior pitcher Shane Garner finished off the wild game, giving up two runs in his only inning of work.

The SIU bullpen finished with 8.1 innings pitched and allowed four runs while walking eight.