May 8, 2015 Box Score
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Missouri State made a sixth-inning run stand as Jon Harris limited Southern Illinois to two hits over 7 2/3 innings in a 1-0 victory over the Salukis Friday evening at Jones Stadium. The Bears (36-10, 13-3 MVC) got a two-out double from Jake Burger in the sixth to score the lone run of the contest, and Harris--with some help from closer Bryan Young--took care of the rest, striking out 10 hitters while allowing just two baserunners.
Harris (6-1) cruised through the first seven frames, allowing just a pair of SIU singles before departing with two out in the eighth due to a blister, but not before posting his fourth double-digit strikeout total in six Missouri Valley Conference starts this year. Young picked up right where Harris left off, retiring the final batter of the eighth before setting the Salukis down in order in the ninth to secure his 10th save of the season. In all, the MSU duo combined to retire the final 12 SIU batters of the game after Burger's clutch hit.
Burger recorded the only multi-hit performance of the night, going 2-for-4, including his team-leading 17th double of the season that scored Tate Matheny from second with two out in the sixth.
The loss overshadowed a strong starting effort from SIU's Chad Whitmer (0-5), who held the Bears to a single unearned run on four hits over his 7.0 innings. The sophomore struck out a career-high six batters and walked just two, joining forces with reliever Jacob Williams to retire the last 10 MSU hitters of the night in succession.
In a game where offense came at a premium, both starting pitchers grabbed the spotlight from the onset by combining to retire 20 consecutive hitters following a walk to MSU leadoff man Dylan Becker to start the game. Whitmer recovered to set down 11 straight MSU batters, while Harris retired nine in a row to begin his evening. Eric Cheray's two-out single in the fourth handed the Bears their first hit of the ballgame, and Jake Burger followed with a base hit to left. But Whitmer won a battle with Justin Paulsen, getting the sophomore to fly out to the warning track in center for the final out of the inning.
SIU followed the Bears' lead in the home half of the inning, using a Chase Slone leadoff hit to jump start its offense. After a Will Farmer sacrifice and a passed ball moved the runner over to third, Harris shut down the rally, getting back-to-back strikeouts of SIU's No. 3 and No. 4 hitters, Greg Lambert and Parker Osborne, to escape the inning unharmed.
Matheny's one-out liner found its way through the SIU infield to start the decisive rally for MSU in the sixth. Whitmer fanned Cheray for the second out, but a passed ball allowed Matheny to move into scoring position before Burger drove a 2-1 pitch down the left-field line to hand Harris and the Bears the lead.
Ryan Sabo led off the home half of the sixth with a base hit to center, and a Dyllin Mucha sacrifice pushed the potential tying run into scoring position. But once again Harris came up big for the Bears, this time coaxing a pair of ground outs to kill the threat.
Sabo would be the final batter to reach base in the contest, as the two pitching staffs combined to retire the final 21 hitters of the game.
Next, the two clubs continue their series with a 2 p.m. game Saturday (May 9), before wrapping up the weekend with a 1 p.m. game Sunday.
