MURRAY, Ky. – SIUE baseball rallied back from an 8-2 deficit Saturday to come away with its first Ohio Valley Conference win of the season, defeating Murray State 9-8 at Reagan Field.
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The Cougars broke an 8-8 deadlock with a run in top of the eighth inning. Alec Skender walked and Logan Andersen doubled. Keaton Wright was intentionally passed to load the bases with nobody out. Skyler Geissinger hit a sacrifice fly to right field.
"We scratched and clawed and got back in the game and then found a way to win it," SIUE Head Coach Tony Stoecklin said.
SIUE improved to 2-14 overall and 1-4 in OVC play. Murray State dropped to 9-12 overall and 2-3 in the OVC.
The Racers loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning against SIUE reliever Brandon Tatum. Zach Malach came in and got Jaron Robinson to lift a fly ball into the left-center field gap. Andersen made a diving catch to end the game. The save was the second of the year for Malach.
"He made a game-saving play," Stoecklin said of Andersen. "He went a long way to get it. It was a gutsy play."
Tatum did not earn a decision after throwing 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. He walked two and struck out two.
"He did a great job today," Stoecklin said of Tatum. "That's not an easy role for a freshman to be in. I'm pleased with what he did. His body language told he was ready to compete."
Brendan Miller (1-0) pitched five innings of relief to earn the win. He allowed three runs on four hits. He struck out two and walked two.
"Overall he did a nice job," Stoecklin said. "He kept us in the game. He had back-to-back innings where he put up zeroes (fifth and sixth). That allowed us to get back in the game and stay in it."
SIUE did most of its damage in the fifth inning. Trailing 8-2 after four innings, the Cougars pushed across six runs in the frame. Wright and Jacob Stewart both had two-run doubles. Jackson Layton added a sacrifice fly to tie the game.
Racers' starter John surrendered the bulk of SIUE's runs. He allowed eight in 4.1 innings of work. It was reliever Cody Maerz (1-3) who was charged with the loss after giving up the run in the eighth inning. He pitched 4.2 innings allowing the run on four hits.
Both teams got out to a quick start. After walking with one out in the first inning, Logan Andersen scored on a base hit by Geissinger.
The Racers answered in the second inning. Moore doubled with one out in the inning and then scored on a single by Thompson.
Murray State scored four times in the third inning to chase SIUE starter Conner Buenger and take a 5-1 lead.
Buenger allowed five runs on seven hits in just two innings of work. He walked two and did not strike out a hitter.
The Cougars trimmed the lead to 5-2 with a run in the fourth inning. Stewart reached on an error to lead off the inning and then scored on a one-out single by Brock Weimer.
The Racers took the 8-2 lead, scoring three runs off Miller in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Geissinger was 4 for 4 with a pair of RBIs to lead the Cougars' charge. Skender, Stewart and Weimer each also had to his for SIUE.
"Skyler Geissinger had a great day," Stoecklin added. "He came up with some key hits as did Jacob Stewart. We swung the bats well today. The offensive production was really good."
Ramsey Scott had two hits and three RBIs to lead Murray State.
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