EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The visiting Southern Illinois University Salukis launched four home runs on Friday afternoon to power past the home-standing University of Evansville baseball team, 11-7, on “Senior Day” at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.

 

The Salukis scored four of their first five runs on home runs, as designated hitter Tyler Bullock and catcher Mark Kelly both launched two-run home runs in the second and third innings to help SIU build a 5-0 lead.

 

Evansville would answer back with three runs of its own in the fifth inning on an RBI single by senior outfielder Jim Viscomi, an RBI ground out by junior catcher Andy Pascoe, and a run-scoring double by junior designated hitter Tom Heithoff to trim the deficit to 5-3. SIU would answer right back though with back-to-back home runs by Bullock and outfielder Jordan Sivertsen in the sixth inning to recapture a five-run cushion, 8-3.

 

The Salukis would tack on three more runs in the seventh inning to push the lead to 11-3, before UE would dial long distance twice to move back within striking distance. Sophomore third baseman Cody Fick crushed a solo home run to center field which bounced onto the Lloyd Expressway beyond the center-field fence, and Heithoff added a towering two-run home run to left-center field to get UE back with five runs at 11-6. The Purple Aces would tack on another run in the seventh inning on a run-scoring wild pitch, but that would be as close as UE would come.

 

“We left some balls up in the zone today, and on a warm and windy day in this ballpark, you can not do that, and Southern Illinois made us pay,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “I liked how we showed some grit and battled back after falling behind early, but spotting a team five runs is tough to come back from.

 

“Hopefully, we can come to the park tomorrow and salvage the series finale and end the season on a high note. This team has come a long way from the fall, and I am really proud of these guys for the strides that they have made this year. It would be nice to get a win tomorrow to not only end the season on a high note, but to also send these seniors out with a victory.”

 

Both Fick and Heithoff had two-hit efforts for UE, with Fick launching his team-best ninth home run of the year, while Heithoff added his first home run of the season. Viscomi also went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI on his “Senior Day,” as UE honored seniors J.R. Carbonell, John Foley, Tom Freeman, Andrew Gher, Mark, Obenchain, Andy Smith, Peter Tountas, and Viscomi prior to the game. UE also paid tribute to injured senior first baseman Derek Melton in pre-game festivities.

 

With the victory, Southern Illinois improves to 22-26 overall and 10-9 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Evansville, meanwhile, slips to 25-29 overall and 7-16 in the MVC. The two teams will conclude the 2009 regular-season on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., weather permitting, at Braun Stadium in a game that can be heard live on 91.5 F.M.-WUEV.