Brewer helps continue baseball team's hot streak, pushing them past Murray StateMatthew McConkeyDaily Egyptian
Senior utility man Matt Brewer takes batting practice after every game because he knows his bat hasn't been as potent as it has in the past.
He will spend up to an hour after the game has ended, preparing himself for that next at-bat. Sometime recently during his practice, he found something that appears to have worked.
Against Murray State on Wednesday, Brewer finally broke out of his hitting slump and went 2-for-5 with two RBI's and two runs scored, lifting the SIU baseball team to an 8-7 victory against the Racers.
"I thought we had a chance to put Murray State away early. We had scoring opportunities," SIU head coach Dan Callahan said. "The game could have been 15-2 by the sixth inning, but we squandered some runs."
The Salukis' (9-1) relentless bats jumped on Murray State's (0-6) starting pitcher Matt Scalfani in the first inning and never let up. The Salukis scored five runs in the first frame and Scalfani only lasted two-thirds of an inning.
After three more innings, the Salukis reopened up the floodgates, adding another three runs, but the Racers didn't give up.
Down seven runs in the bottom of the fifth, the Racers kept chipping away at the Salukis lead, adding three runs in the bottom of the ninth. In relief for starter Charlie Weber, Brewer gave up three runs and Callahan pulled him out and brought in the most reliable arm in the Salukis bullpen, junior Dusty Baker.
With one man on, Baker gave up one hit and struck out two, ending any hope the Racers would cancel the Salukis' seven-game winning streak.
Weber came out strong in his first college outing, hurling five innings and giving five hits, two earned runs, three walks and four strike outs.
"I struggled at first, but then I was able to get into a groove and work through," said Weber, a Murphysboro native.
The top three batters for the Salukis have been the catalyst for the rest of the lineup so far this season, but struggled Wednesday.
Junior center fielder Kevin Koski usually has no problem placing the bat on the ball, but went hitless in five attempts with one walk. Senior designated hitter Nathan Emrick went one for three with a run scored.
The real spark in the Salukis came from the middle of the lineup.
Right fielder Grant Gerrard, left fielder Dean Cademartori and Brewer combined for 7-for-15 with five RBI's and five runs scored.
"I saw something I liked in the middle of the lineup," Callahan said. "Any time you win, it's a good thing. I just don't like it when you have a chance to bury a team and you let them hang around."
The Salukis are scheduled for a three-game series this weekend against cross-state rival Northern Illinois. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday, with Tyler Norrick (1-0, 6.75 ERA) on the mound.
