The Illinois State baseball team used a three-run rally in the sixth inning to take a 5-2 lead and then held on for a 5-4 Missouri Valley Conference win over Southern Illinois Friday at Abe Martin Field.
The Redbirds improved to 15-15 overall and 6-7 in the Valley. SIU dropped to 13-21, 7-10.
Neal Cotts (5-1) went the distance for the third straight time, walking none and fanning nine to earn the pitching win.
"It's obviously very important any time you're playing a conference series to get the first one, especially on the road," said ISU coach Jeff Stewart. "Neal maybe didn't have his best stuff, but not walking anyone and making them swing the bat and play station-to-station baseball was outstanding.
"We got enough big hits when we needed them, but I'm a little disappointed that we didn't score against their bullpen. But we hit the ball hard a few times right at people."
Mike Saunches got ISU going in the fourth inning when he bashed a two-run homer, his sixth of the season.
"I sat fastball and he threw a good pitch that I got a great swing on and the ball jumped off my bat," Saunches said.
Jared Dufault, who scored on Saunches' blast, also came through in the sixth when he led off with a triple. Lance McMillan had a one-out single to score Dufault, and McMillan then stole second base.
With two outs, Greg Blaesing singled to drive home McMillan, and an error allowed him to go all the way to third, where he scored on Jeremy Accardo's hit.
The Salukis came up with two runs in the bottom of the ninth before Blaesing threw out John Clem trying to steal second base for the final out.
"I knew after the first inning that I didn't have my best stuff out there, so I just tried to work around the zone and change my speed a little," said Cotts, who ranks third in the nation with 12.38 strikeouts per game.
"It was important to get the first win today. Hopefully we can roll with it."
Jeff Stanek and Clem each had three hits for SIU. Josh Latimer (2-4), the Saluki starter, took the pitching loss, allowing five runs (four earned) in five and one-third innings.
