March 8, 2011

LANTANA, Fla. - The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville baseball Cougars dropped the finale of their Florida trip Tuesday afternoon, falling to Seton Hall 3-2 in 11 innings.

"Today was a real good game," SIUE Coach Gary Collins said. "We threw well, we threw strikes. We didn't walk many, we just didn't hit today."

Seton Hall designated hitter Will Walsh drove in catcher Frank Esposito with the game winning run in the 11th with a sacrifice fly. Esposito reached when he was hit by a pitch with one out in the inning. Esposito had moved to second on a base hit and to third thanks to a balk by SIUE reliever Thad Hawkins.

Hawkins, 0-1, tossed 3 2/3 innings of relief allowing just the run on a single hit. He did not walk a batter, and struck out one. Thad Hawkins relieved starter Josh Malin, who allowed two runs, one earned, on eight hits. He walked one and struck out three.

"Josh Malin pitched real well, and so did Thad," Collins said.

The Cougars, 1-11, took a 1-0 lead thanks to an RBI-single by James Vazquez in the third inning. Vazquez drove home Brian Sipe, who had singled earlier in the inning. Vazquez was 1 for 2 with the RBI.

Seton Hall, 3-7, took its first lead of the game with two runs in the seventh on three hits and a Cougar error.

Devin Caldwell led off the eighth inning with his first collegiate home run to tie the game, 2-2. The score stayed that way into the 11th inning. Caldwell finished 1 for 5.

"He just shows up and plays," Collins said of the freshman outfielder. "He really never takes a bad swing."

Scott Kalama and Ryan Sullivan each had two hits in the win for the Pirates, who out-hit the Cougars 9-8 during the game. Ryan Harvey, 1-1, pitched the final 3 2/3 innings for the win for Seton Hall.

SIUE now returns home to hosts its first home series of the year. Collins said the Cougars need to continue to improve.

"We really need to get better at everything," he said.

The Cougars will entertain the Chicago State Cougars Friday, at GCS Ballpark in Sauget. The game is the first of a three-game series. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.