Junior third baseman Ryan Sabo’s second career home run came in clutch for SIU baseball at McNeese State on Saturday.

Sabo’s eighth-inning solo homer broke a 1-1 tie and proved to be the difference in a 2-1 win for the Salukis (1-1).

“I figured they were gonna come right at me with the fastball,” Sabo said. “I got a good barrel on it and it went over the fence.”

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Despite hitting three Cowboy batters, junior right-hander Chad Whitmer gave SIU a quality start in his 2016 debut, allowing one run on four hits in six innings.

The Saluki defense helped Whitmer end early rallies, turning inning-ending double plays in the first three innings.

McNeese State (1-1) freshman left-hander Bryan King was every bit as good as Whitmer, allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts in seven innings.

Saluki junior right-hander Anthony Shimkus (1-0) earned the win with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.  Cowboy freshman righty Grant Anderson (0-1) suffered the loss.

SIU sophomore first baseman Logan Blackfan hit two doubles with one RBI, to bring his season total to three through two games. Blackfan led the Salukis with 19 doubles in 2015.

Junior shortstop Will Fox drove in McNeese State’s lone run with a double in the fifth inning.

The two teams will be back in action at noon Sunday at Cowboy Diamond in Lake Charles, La.

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SIU sophomore right-hander Michael Baird (0-0) will take on McNeese senior righty Ethan Stremmel.

Thomas Donley can be reached at [email protected] or at 618-536-3307