March 12, 2011

SAUGET, Ill. - Brett Keeler's pinch-hit, two-run home run in the eighth inning lifted Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to a 6-5 win over Chicago State in college baseball at GCS Ballpark.

The win is the second in a row for SIUE, which improved to 3-11. Chicago State dropped to 1-4 with the loss.

"We were fortunate to win making four errors," SIUE head Coach Gary Collins said. "The fact that we overcame it says something for us."

SIUE was trailing 5-3 going into the eighth inning. Devin Caldwell led off the inning with a walk, then stole second. Chase Green singled with two outs to score Caldwell , making it 5-4. Keeler followed Green to the plate, pinch-hitting for Brian Sipe.

"Brett made me look like a genius," SIUE Head Coach Gary Collins said."He got a 3-1 pitch down the middle and he struck it well."

Chicago State scored three times in the top of the inning to take the 5-3 lead. All three runs came against SIUE reliever Dustin Quattrocchi.

Thad Hawkins, 1-1, earned the win in relief. Hawkins tossed 1 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out three.

CSU took an early lead when Miguel Camacho led off the second inning with a home run of SIUE starter Travis Felax, making it 1-0.

Felax tossed six innings for SIUE. He allowed only the run on two hits. He struck out three.

"Travis just said he got tired all of sudden," Collins said. "But he gave us six good innings."

James Vazquez evened the score in the third inning with a two-out RBI-single to drive home Thad Hawkins. Hawkins had walked two batters earlier.

SIUE added two more runs in the fifth inning. Thad Hawkins walked to start the inning and went to second on a passed ball. Travis Becherer then grounded back to CSU pitcher Steven O'Hair. O'Hair threw to third, not in time to get Becherer. Vazquez followed with a sacrifice fly to center to put SIUE on top 2-1. Joel Greatting then hit a long double off the left field wall. The double drove home Becherer to put SIUE up by two, 3-1.

Vazquez was 1 for 3 with the pair of RBIs. Greatting and Green were each 1 for 4 with an RBI.

SIUE and Chicago State conclude the three-game series Sunday afternoon at Edwardsville High School. First pitch comes at 12 p.m.