The Saluki baseball team defeated Austin Peay State University Tuesday while recording the most strikeouts in one game since pitching coach P.J. Finigan recorded 17 in 2005.

SIU beat the Governors 14-4 and had four home runs.

The Salukis took their first lead in the first inning when junior outfielder Parker Osborne hit a solo home run to right field. The Governors answered with a solo home run of their own from Alex Robles.

Austin Peay scored only three more runs in the second and third innings, but the Salukis were just getting started.

Seniors Ryan Casillas and Donny Duschinsky both hit three run homers, and Cody Daily had another solo shot.

Daily went 3-3 with two RBI’s and four runs scored. Duschinsky had four RBI’s with two hits. Senior Ryan Rosthenhausler went 3-5 with one RBI.

Senior Matt Jones had a nine-game hitting streak going into tonight’s contest. Jones failed to extend his streak in five at bats, but did reach and score twice.

Freshmen Connor McFadden and Jake Hand got their first collegiate starts. McFadden gave up two runs in the first two innings. He walked the bases loaded without recording an out in the third before senior Matt Murphy was called in for relief.

Murphy retired the next two batters, but gave up a two run double before getting out of the inning.

Hand finished his day 0-3 before Casillas was called to pinch hit for him.

After McFadden was pulled, it was all SIU. The Dawgs’ bullpen mowed through Austin Peay’s lineup. Saluki pitchers totaled 16 strikeouts including four from both McFadden and freshman Kyle Pauly.

The bullpen only gave up two hits and five walks in seven innings. Pauly tossed two hitless innings and only allowed one base runner.

“The bullpen was fantastic,” Murphy said in a Saluki Athletics press release. “Once we got the lead, our hitters didn’t look back, and then the bullpen threw up a bunch of zeros.”

Meanwhile, APSU’s pitching staff had trouble controlling the ball. They hit six SIU batters.

Austin Peay freshman infielder, Ridge Smith was named the Ohio Valley Conference player of the week after this weekend. Smith went 6-10 with four doubles against Iowa University.

The Salukis did walk Smith three times in Tuesday’s contest, but did not give up any hits to him, or allow him to score.

Senior Matt Murphy got his first win of the season and seventh of his career. Zach Walton got the loss.

SIU totaled 12 hits and no errors.

The Salukis are 2-2 going into the Carmel Inn Showdown this weekend in Thibodaux, La., where they will play three games, starting with Western Illinois University on Friday.

Aaron Graff can be contacted at [email protected], @Aarongraff_DE or 536-3311 ext. 269