May 23, 2008

Box Score

By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com

WICHITA, Kan. - Josh Mazzola went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a pair of home runs and five RBI to lead second-seeded Missouri State University (40-16) to a 11-6 win over fifth-seeded Southern Illinois (34-23) earlier tonight in the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

With the win, MSU advances to the championship round to face top-seeded Wichita State Saturday.

SIU finishes third in this year's tourney, ending its 2008 campaign with 34 victories. Those wins tie for second-most in a season under head coach Dan Callahan.

"I was glad we lasted as long as we did," said Callahan. "I thought we had some momentum going into tonight's game. We were just awful on the mound in the first two innings."

The Salukis dug themselves a big hole when righthander Andrew Dunn struggled in his first career MVC Tournament start. Dunn gave up seven runs in just 1.2 innings, all of which came with two outs.

The Bears scored once in the third before roaring to eight runs in the second to take a quick 9-0 lead.

MSU strung together four-straight extra base hits with two outs in the second. Ben Woodbury started the barrage with a two-RBI double and scored on an ensuing double by Nolan Keane. Brayden Drake then knocked in Keane on a double and Mazzola followed with a two-run homer to straightaway center. Ben Carlson and Chris Playter combined for the other three tallies.

Saluki lefthander Jimmy Cornell, at one time, retired 13 in a row out of the Saluki pen, but Mazzola ended that stretch with his second two-run bomb in the seventh. Those two runs polished off the 11-6 win.

SIU managed to narrow the gap to 9-6 when it rallied for four runs in the fourth. That was as close as the Salukis would get.

Dunn fell to 2-6 on the year.

Adam Hills led SIU with four hits. The Salukis finished with a total of 11 on the night.