Box Score March 17, 2010
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE baseball won its third straight game Wednesday with a 6-1 triumph over North Dakota at SimmonsCooper Complex.
The brief two-game series between Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and North Dakota, both teams transitioning to NCAA Division I, ended with a Cougar sweep.
Luke Vine evened his record at 1-1 with an effective start of 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and gave up just four hits. SIUE also used Spencer Patton, Josh Hoguet, Luke Ingersoll, and Josh Malin out of the bullpen as SIUE improved to 5-12.
"He threw the ball well today. He made an improvement from his last outing," said SIUE Head Coach Gary Collins. "It was a good step forward."
SIUE took advantage of seven walks from North Dakota starter Travis Clifton to score two runs in each of the first two innings.
Matt Highland began the Cougar first inning with a walk. James Vazquez was hit by a pitch. Adam Eggemeyer loaded the bases with another walk. Mitch Matecki drove in the first run of the game with an infield out, scoring Highland. Vaquez would score on an infield out by Zach Hawkins.
The Cougars needed just one hit for two runs in the second inning. Joel Greatting started with a walk. Travis Becherer got the Cougars into the hit column with a perfect bunt single down the third base line. After Becherer and Greatting stole second and third, respectively, Highland picked up a sacrifice fly. Becherer would make it 4-0 by scoring on a wild pitch.
North Dakota scored its only run of the series in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Jake Magner.
SIUE added two insurance runs in the sixth. Brett Keeler singled and scored on a triple by Vazquez. Eggemeyer drove home Vazquez on a sacrifice fly.
Next up for the Cougars is a three-game weekend series at Evansville. SIUE meets Evansville on Friday at 6 p.m. followed by a 2 p.m. game Saturday and a 1 p.m. contest Sunday.
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