Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 March 27, 2010
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville baseball pounded out 31 hits Saturday for a doubleheader sweep over Tennessee Tech.
SIUE, 7-16, took nearly 4 1/2 hours in the opener to defeat the Golden Eagles 11-8 in 11 innings. The Cougars overpowered Tennessee Tech 12-4 in the nightcap to take the rubber game of the three-game series. The two teams decided to play a doubleheader Saturday instead challenging Sunday's forecast for rain.
Tennessee Tech fell to 11-13 with the pair of losses.
SIUE didn't get its offense running strong until midway late into game one. Down 8-3 after seven innings, the Cougars rallied for five runs in the eighth. Cougar second baseman James Vazquez, who has a team-leading eight-game hitting streak, started the rally with a one-out solo home run.
Mitch Matecki drew a walk and then stole second. The Cougars scored most of their runs in the inning with two outs as Joel Greatting doubled home Matecki.
Despite TTU going to the bullpen for its third pitcher, Ryan Hopkins began his stint out of the bullpen after Greatting's double by hitting Thad Hawkins with a pitch. Hopkins then watched as Greatting scored on a double by Matt Highland, who led all hitters with four hits.
Hawkins and Highland would later score on a pinch-hit single by Brett Keeler.
The Cougars sealed the victory in the 11th with a bases-loaded double by Greatting. Vazquez, Matecki and Zach Hawkins would score on the play.
Brian Lorenz earned the win out of the bullpen, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Dustin Quattrocchi picked up the save by shutting down the Golden Eagles in the final inning.
SIUE punched out 18 more hits in the nightcap and jumped all over Tennessee Tech starter Tristan Archer. The Cougars would pick up home runs off the TTU starter by Zach Hawkins in the second and Adam Eggemeyer in the fourth.
The Cougars roughed up four TTU pitchers. Meanwhile Josh Malin threw five-plus strong innings for the victory as he won his first game of the season. Quattrocchi threw 3 2/3 strong innings of relief for the Cougars.
Eggemeyer led the Cougars with four hits in game two. Vazquez, Zach Hawkins and Dustin Brooks each finished with three hits for SIUE.
With Sunday's game cut because of weather concerns, SIUE now has an extra off before its next trip against a future Ohio Valley Conference rival. The Cougars travel to Morehead State for a three-game series starting Friday.
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