Bone Earns Fourth Save For SIUE

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE and Eastern Kentucky combined for 21 runs, 21 hits and eight home runs Friday with the Colonels coming out on top of the Cougars 12-9 in the opener of an Ohio Valley Conference series at Simmons Baseball Complex.

SIUE fell to 4-6 in OVC play and 8-15 overall. EKU is 4-3 in the OVC and 15-12 overall.

EKU took a 4-0 lead in the first with four unearned runs against starter Collin Baumgartner. An error and a hit batter hurt the Cougars. EKU designated hitter Charles Ludwick capped off the inning with a three-run home run.

Brock Weimer got the Cougars on the board in the bottom of the inning with an RBI-double. SIUE charged in front in the second inning on a pair of home runs. Garrett Carmichael led off the inning with a home run before SIUE loaded the bases with one out. Weimer then launched his third career grand slam to left to put SIUE up 6-4.

"It was a good day to hit early on," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "It was warm and both teams swung the bat really well."

EKU pulled within one at 6-5 with a run in the fourth, before the Cougars got another two home runs in the bottom of the inning. Dustin Woodcock and Weimer went back-to-back to make it 8-5 SIUE.

Weimer was 3-5 with the two homers and six RBIs. It was Weimer's fifth career two-homer game and the fourth time in his career he has had six RBIs in a game.

The Colonels scored twice in the fifth inning, without a hit. Two walks and a hit batter by Baumgartner loaded the bases. Ludwick then walked with the bases loaded and Daniel Harris followed with a sacrifice fly to trim the lead to 8-7.

"They all hurt us today," Lyons added. "Some days you get away with those mistakes and they don't show up so big. Today each and every one of those 'freebies' showed up and hurt us."

Ludwick led EKU at the plate. He was 2-4 with four RBIs.

The Colonels got home runs from Will Johnson, Nick Howie and A.J. Lewis (a two-run shot) to pull ahead for good at 11-8 in the sixth inning.

"It's disappointing when you feel like you swing the bats well and you come up short the way we did," Lyons said.

Tyler Hutchinson took the loss in relief for SIUE. He allowed three runs on three hits and is 0-1.

"We have been here before, with a loss in game one," Lyons said. "We'll look for a good outing out of David (Llorens) tomorrow and even things up."

SIUE managed just a run on six hits Saturday, falling to Eastern Kentucky 9-1 in the second game of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Simmons Baseball Complex.

The Colonels improved to 16-12 overall and 5-3 in the OVC. EKU has won five straight OVC games. The Cougars fell to 8-16 overall and 4-7 in OVC play.

Eastern Kentucky got all the scoring it needed in the fourth inning. Three walks in the inning had the bases loaded with two outs when wild pitch brought home the first run of the game. Corey Conklin, Logan Thomason and Will Johnson then collected consecutive doubles to plate four more runs.

"As sharp as David was the first couple innings, he ran into some trouble with some free bases and putting some guys on," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. The difference in the game is they made an adjustment to David and started taking him the other way with the wind. They strung together three hits and put up the five-spot."

The Cougars, who had already left the bases loaded in the first two innings, loaded them again in the bottom of the fourth on a hit, an error and a walk. Jack Rigoni scored on a wild pitch, but it was all SIUE could get.

"We had a chance in the bottom half of the inning and didn't capitalize on the bases-loaded opportunity," Lyons added.

Llorens (2-3) lasted only 3 2/3 innings. He struck out eight but he walked six. Michael Shereyk worked 2 1/3 innings allowing two runs and striking out three. Cole Milam also struck out three and allowed two runs in two innings. Ryan Byrd worked a scoreless ninth and picked up a strikeout.

"Mike Shereyk did a good job there for a few innings," Lyons said. "We were able to lengthen the game but we just never got it going offensively."

Eastern Kentucky starter Kaven Brown allowed just the single, unearned, run in seven innings. He walked five and struck out one and improved to 6-1 with the win.

SIUE's six hits came from six different hitters. Conklin and Thomason each had two hits for EKU.

The final game of the three-game series is set for 1 p.m. Sunday.

"We talk about how important Sunday is," Lyons said. "It is pivotal for us to avoid the sweep."

SIUE baseball avoided a sweep at the hands of Eastern Kentucky, taking the finale of a three-game series 5-2 from the Colonels.

The Cougar improved to 5-7 in the Ohio Valley Conference with the win and 9-16 overall. EKU fell to 16-13 overall and 5-4 in OVC play.

"We talk about how important Sunday wins are and at home to salvage a win in the series is huge," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "The win today keeps us in the middle of the pack (in the OVC)."

Each team scored a run in the first and again in the third inning for a 2-2 score. Brock Weimer collected an RBI in the first inning and Eric Giltz singled to tie the score in the third.  

The Colonels got RBIs from Ryland Kerr in the first and Charles Ludwick in the third. SIUE starter Brian Chandler gave up both runs and left in the third with the bases loaded and one out. Tyler Hutchinson relieved him and struck out the next two hitters.

"The key to the game today was Tyler Hutchinson," Lyons said. "Tyler came in, calmed the waters and set the tone for the rest of the bullpen to carry us the rest of the way through the game."

The Cougars took the lead for good with a three-run fourth inning to chase EKU starter Brennan Kelly. Jordan Ross drove home two with a single and Dustin Woodcock added an RBI hit in the inning.

"The guys did a nice job and made an adjustment to the type of arm we were facing," Lyons said. "We changed our approach and were able to string a couple of hits together."

Hutchinson settled in to throw 3 2/3 innings of scoreless, hitless ball. He struck out four. Kerr was the only EKU base runner to reach, when he walked in the fourth, but was thrown out trying to steal second base.

Hutchinson earned the win to move to 1-1 this year. Kelly (2-3) took the loss for Eastern Kentucky.

Adam Drewry, Chris Robinson and Braydon Bone (Effingham graduate) all threw a perfect inning of relief for SIUE. Bone worked the ninth to earn his fourth save of the year.

Eastern Kentucky's bullpen of Brennan Labarbera and Aaron Ochsenbein combined for 4 1/3 innings of scoreless, hitless relief. The Cougar's Raul Elguezabal was the only batter to reach when he walked in the eighth after a 14-pitch plate appearance.

"The game changed from what looked like an offensive game to a tighter matchup," Lyons said. "Both bullpens answered the bell and fortunately we had the lead when the bullpens took over."

Giltz finished 3-4 with an RBI to lead SIUE at the plate. Woodcock was 2-4 and extended a hitting streak to 10 games.

SIUE goes to Bradley for a midweek game Wednesday before hitting the road to continue OVC play next weekend at Morehead State.