Gonzaga and SIU cruise to victories

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FROM PRESS RELEASES

Gonzaga 7 Indiana 4

Spokane, Wash.- Junior first baseman Ryan Wiegand homered for the third straight game and Gonzaga University won its fourth straight and its seventh in the last eight outings with a 7-4 win over Indiana University Monday in the opener of the Pepsi/Johnny Quick baseball tournament at Beiden Field.

With the scored tied 4-4 in the eighth, Wiegand hit a two-out 0-1 pitch to left-center to put the Bulldogs (7-5) up 6-4. Evan Wells had opened the inning with a walk off Anthony Agnew, on in relief of Hoosiers (3-6) starter Tyler Tufts. Chris Squires relieved Agnew and the Bulldogs got a sacrifice bunt and a groundout to third to set the stage for Wiegand, who tied Jason Chatwood for the team home run lead.

Gonzaga added an insurance run in the ninth when Shawn Wayt led off with a walk, was sacrificed to second by Bryan Winston, stole third and scored on an infield single by Michael Rhodes.

The Bulldogs got on the board first by manufacturing a run in the top of the first. Wells started the game with a single through the box, but he was erased on a fielder’s choice hit into by Chatwood. On the play, though, Tyler Cox’ relay throw to first sailed high and Chatwood moved up to second. Marcus McKimmy then bounded a ball up the middle and Chatwood came around to score and give the Zags a 1-0 lead.

The Hoosiers responded in the bottom of the frame with Andrew Means leading off with a single. Crawford followed with a single to put runners at the corners and nobody out, and then Josh Phegley ripped his team-leading third double of the season to knot the game 1-1. Michael Earley flied to right and Crawford was gunned down at the plate by McKimmy.

In the third, the Hoosiers took the lead. Tyler Cox led off the inning with a double down the left-field line and advanced to third on a Means groundout. Crawford struck out for the second out of the inning, and Phegley worked a 3-1 count, and then saw ball four sail low and away. The ball squirted away from the catcher, and Cox raced home to score on a passed ball and give IU a 2-1 lead.

The Hoosiers scored another run in the bottom of the fourth. Earley got things started with a one-out single, and Jerrud Sabourin followed with his first career extra-base hit, slashing a double down the left-field line to score Earley and put the Hoosiers up by a pair of runs.

In the fifth, though, the Zags scored a trio of runs thanks in part to some sloppy defense by the Hoosiers. Gonzaga got a one-out single from McKimmy who moved to second on a groundout. Brett Nicholas hit a slicing double that fell just out of the reach of Earley in left and Tyson Van Winkle reached on a fielding error by Cox at short. Winston drew a walk and then Grant Kvader hit a two-run single through the right side to put the Zags up 4-3.

Indiana tied the game again in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of two-out base hits. Means started things with a single to shortstop and stole his fourth base of the year. Crawford followed with a single through the left side that brought Means home and tied the score at 4-4.

That set the stage for Wiegand’s eight-inning blast.

Jeremy Stumetz picked up the pitching victory for the Bulldogs, going the final three innings while allowing one run and striking out two. Starter AJ Proszek went five innings, surrendering seven hits and three earned runs while walking three and fanning three. Brandon Harmon pitched a flawless sixth for the Bulldogs.

Gonzaga will return to action at 10 a.m. Tuesday against the University of Utah, which was to meet the University of Portland Monday.

Southern Illinois 9 Butler 2

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois University (5-5) pounded out a season-high five extra base hits in a 9-2 win over Butler (0-6) earlier today at Abe Martin Field.

SIU earned its first series win, sweeping the Bulldogs in two games.

“I thought we did a lot of things well today,” said Saluki head coach Dan Callahan. “We got a quality start on the mound and had some good at-bats at the plate.”

The Salukis, who outscored Butler, 17-3, on the series, again took an early lead and never looked back.

SIU put up two runs in each of the first two innings to get a quick 4-0 advantage.

The Dawgs scored their first run with the bases loaded this season when Chris Murphy touched home after Bret Maugeri was hit by a pitch with two outs. On the next play, Adam Hills scored on the first of three errors by Bulldog shortstop Joe Pauley.

Three Salukis, including Owen Mackedon, Scott Elmendorf and Tyler Bullock doubled to key a four-hit second inning. Mackedon scored on Elmendorf’s hit and Elmendorf came home on a two-out RBI-single by Mark Kelly.

After adding another run in the sixth, SIU blew the game open when Murphy launched a two-out, three-run homer to push the Saluki lead to 8-0 in the seventh. The home run marked the first of Murphy’s career.

SIU put up one more run with the help of an error, single and two passed balls to ice the win in the eighth.

Left-hander Shawn Joy (1-1) set the tone on the mound for the Dawgs. Joy allowed four hits, struck out five and walked none in six scoreless innings. He also retired 11 of the first 13 hitters he faced.

Bryan Bokowy (0-2) took the fall for Butler after giving up five hits and four runs, walking three and striking out five in four innings.

Offensively, Kelly, Murphy and Elmendorf paved the way for SIU. Kelly had a game-high three hits, going 3-for-5 with two RBI, while Murphy went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, a homer and three RBI. Elmendorf went 2-for-5 with two runs and one RBI.

The Salukis, who outhit the Bulldogs, 10-7, registered double-digit hits for the third-straight game. Half of SIU’s hits went for extra bases, four of which were doubles and one a home run.

SIU, currently on a two-game winning streak, heads to San Antonio, Texas, for its spring break. The Salukis will play five games in the Lonestar State this week, beginning Wednesday versus Buffalo (1 p.m., CST).