Boucher homer helps Southern Illinois to victory

April 16, 2022

By Michael Reis

Southern Illinois Athletics

Carbondale, Il. … An overturned umpire’s call in the top of the ninth inning and Nathan Bandy’s RBI single in the bottom of the ninth keyed the Southern Illinois Salukis 7-6 win over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville Cougars in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader at SIU’s Itchy Jones Stadium.

The call, overturned by the umpires after video review, prevented SIUE from taking a 7-6 lead. The Cougars, who had tied the game 6-6 earlier in the innings on Drew Mize’s RBI single off Saluki stopper Matthew Steidl, loaded the bases with one out. The Cougars’ Richie Well grounded to SIU second baseman Grey Epps, whose throw to second base forced SIUE’s Justin Ohl. SIU SS Kaeber Rog’s throw to first was initially ruled as late and Well rule safe scoring Mize with the apparent tie-breaking run. The umpires reviewed the call, however, and overturned it. So, the game remained tied at 6.

SIU loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning with one out on a hit batsman (J.T. Weber) and two walks, one an intentional walk versus Cougar relievers Spencer Smith and Jake Bockenstedt. That set-up Bandy’s heroics, as he delivered a solid single past Ohl and the drawn-in Cougar infield scoring Weber.

Well almost single-handedly rallied SIUE from a 5-1 deficit after five innings. His solo home run off Saluki starter Noah Farmer made it 5-2 SIU in the sixth inning.

Well spoiled Saluki stopper Trey McDaniel’s bid for his 32nd career save with a three-run home run off McDaniel to tie the game at 5 in the eighth inning.

Saluki LF Pier-Olivier Boucher (Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, Que.) homered off Smith’s first pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning to give SIU a 6-5 lead. Boucher’s homer was his fourth of the season and his first since March 5.

The Salukis gained their 5-1 lead thanks to Grey Epps’ two run third inning home run and a three run fourth inning. Evan Martin delivered two of those three runs with a single. Two hitters later Cody Cleveland drove in Nick Hagedorn, who’s walked, with a sacrifice fly.

Steidl got the victory and is, 2-2.

Saluki starter Noah Famer left the game with a 5-2 lead after pitching seven innings of six hit, one earned run baseball

Bockenstedt (2-4) took the loss. Goreville, Ill.’s Brant Glidewell pitched the first five innings for SIUE and allowed five runs on seven hits.