BOX SCORE
MOREHEAD, Ky. – Despite a career-best effort from redshirt junior third baseman
Stephen Hill and home runs from seniors
Dom Peroni and
Arthur Sells, Morehead State baseball couldn't overcome a late outburst from Southern Illinois Friday afternoon.
Behind a pair of big innings—a four-run fifth and six-run ninth frame—the Salukis (6-4) dispatched the Eagles (3-5) in Morehead State's home opener, out-hitting Morehead State 13-12 while both teams committed a sole error each.
Morehead State and Southern Illinois continue their series tomorrow afternoon, returning to Allen Field for a 2 p.m. ET first pitch.
HOW IT HAPPENED
B1: Reaching base with a single to rightfield, senior centerfielder Ryan Layne scored from second base on a single to leftfield from Hill to put the Eagles on the board first.
T3: Following a leadoff walk to second baseman Grey Epps and a single to right-centerfield by catcher Austin Ulick, Southern Illinois drew even with a sacrifice fly off the bat of rightfielder Brad Hudson.
B3: Providing an immediate answer for Morehead State, Hill drove in a pair of runs as he lined a ball over the head of Saluki leftfielder JT Weber, finding the base of the wall to plate redshirt sophomore catcher Brody Shoupe and redshirt junior shortstop Logan Goodnight who reached on an error and with a single, respectively.
T5: Putting together an answer of its own, Southern Illinois used four hits, including a pair of two-run extra-base hits, a walk and a Morehead State error to score four runs to take a 5-3 lead.
T6: Picking up his third hit of the day, Ulick homered to straight-away center to expand the Salukis advantage.
B6: Answering Southern Illinois solo homer in the top of the inning, Sells drove a ball to the deepest part of the ballpark in left-center for his first home run of the season and the second homer of his Eagle career.
T7: With the two teams trading home runs, the Salukis hang another on the board behind a solo shot to center off the bat of Hudson.
T9: Combining four free passes, four hits, a stolen base, and a wild pitch, Southern Illinois scored six additional runs as Weber, first baseman Philip Archer (two), and third baseman Ian Walters (two) each collected RBI.
B9: Morehead State crafted a big inning of their own in the ninth with Hill driving home Layne—who reached with a walk—using a double off the wall in centerfield before Peroni plate himself and Hill with a two-run home run to right-center.
NOTABLE
Stephen Hill's career afternoon gives him the first four-hit game for an Eagle since Connor Pauly versus Eastern Kentucky on May 24, 2019, and the first four-RBI game since Trevor Snyder against Austin Peay on May 25, 2019
Home runs from Dom Peroni and Arthur Sells gives Morehead State its first multi-homer game of the season and the first since clubbing two home runs against Eastern Kentucky (May 24, 2019) in last season's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
Striking out just three times in Friday's game, Morehead State hitters registered their lowest strikeout total since fanning just twice against Southeast Missouri on May 18, 2019.
Recording 10 strikeouts, the Eagle pitching staff collected its sixth double-digit strikeout game in eight games this season.
