March 6, 2021

Southern Illinois University Athletics Press Release

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois Salukis team clinched the series with an 8-4 win over UT Martin on Saturday at Itchy Jones Stadium. SIU improved to 10-0 on the season and won its 15th straight game dating back to last year.

“Every single day we walk out here, we think we have a chance to win.” SIU head coach Lance Rhodes said. “It’s about playing good, quality baseball. Take the opponent out of it. If we play quality baseball, we like our chances. We have a really good group of mature players that are talented. We feel that every day we show up to the park, we have a chance to win. We want to continue the streak as long as we can.”

SIU (10-0) scored first with a three-run second inning. Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.) led off the inning by working a full count and pulling a double down the right field line. From there, the Salukis played station-to-station. Vinni Massaglia drove in Peters with an opposite-field single. Philip Archer reached on an error, and then Tony Rask drove in another run with an opposite-field single. Brad Hudson loaded the bases with a single, and then Ian Walters brought the third run of the inning home with a sac fly.

UT Martin (3-5), which came to Carbondale winners of three-straight, hit a two-run homer in the third to come within 3-2. Nick Neville responded by leading off the bottom half of the inning with a double, and Peters traded places with him to put SIU ahead 4-2. The Salukis loaded the bases and got the break of the game with two outs. Grey Epps hit a flare to shallow right field. UTM’s second baseman looked like he had a play on the ball, but he deferred to the right fielder, who couldn’t make a diving catch. All three runs scored to give SIU a 7-2 lead, and Epps, hustling the whole way, ended up on third with a triple.

SIU starter Brad Harrison earned his first win of the season with five complete innings. He struck out six and walked just one. He allowed three runs on six hits. Harrison gave way to Noah Farmer, who was phenomenal in the final four innings and never let the Skyhawks back in the game. UTM got one run on three hits, and Farmer struck out three and earned his first career save.

Peters recorded his seventh multi-hit game of the season (10 games).