The Southern Illinois baseball team won its sixth straight conference game, a 4-1 victory at Evansville on Friday night.

The Salukis (29-19-1, 10-6 Missouri Valley Conference) received eight innings of one-run baseball from junior starter Chad Whitmer (6-3, 2.22 ERA) and sophomore closer Ryan Netemeyer’s 11th save of the season to hold down the Purple Aces (25-22, 7-9 MVC).

A three-run SIU fifth inning broke a 1-1 tie. Sophomore second baseman Connor Kopach’s two-run home run capped the rally.

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Junior right Patrick Schneiders (4-5, 4.56 ERA) took the loss, allowing all four Saluki runs on five hits in seven innings of work with three walks and three strikeouts.

Whitmer scattered six hits across his eight innings of work with three strikeouts and two walks. The only run he allowed was unearned.

Evansville sophomore designated hitter Travis Tokarek collected a game-high three hits.

Kopach and junior right fielder Ryan Smith led SIU with two hits each. 

The win puts SIU in second place in the conference. Evansville remains tied for fifth with Wichita State, which lost 6-4 to Illinois State.

Sophomore right-hander Michael Baird (8-3, 1.74 ERA) will take the mound for the Dawgs at 2 p.m. Saturday in the second game of the series.

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

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