Archer’s Tie-Breaking Hit Lifts SIU Over Bradley, 7-4

NORMAL, Ill. –  Philip Archer singled home J.T. Weber, who had doubled, in the eighth inning to give No. 8 seed Southern Illinois the lead for good in a 7-4 win over No. 5 seed Bradley in the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Tournament, Tuesday at Duffy Bass Field.

SIU added two insurance runs in the ninth on RBI singles by Alex Lyon and Weber.

Justin Yeager (4-2) came on in relief of starter Brad Harrison in the fifth inning and pitched a career-long 3 2/3 innings to pick up the win. Trey McDaniel picked up his 13^th save by pitching a scoreless ninth inning. Cole Cook (5-1) took the loss in relief for Bradley.

The Salukis (25-27) advance from the single-elimination first round to play in the six-team double-elimination tournament, facing tournament host and No. 2 seed Illinois State (32-22) at 3 p.m. Wednesday. The season is complete for the Braves (31-19). The Braves had swept the 3-game regular-season series from SIU.

Bradley took a 2-0 lead in the third with a little help from the wind, gusting at 30 mph.  After Christian Dominguez singled for the Braves’ first hit. Luke Shadid followed with a high, deep drive into left field that looked like it was over the fence, but the wind blew it back in, where it fell for a triple. Dominguez scored on the fly ball, and Shadid came home three pitches later on a wild pitch.

Wind helped the Salukis tie it up right away. Ian Walters’ high fly ball fell in center field for an error to start the SIU fourth. He went to third on a ground out and came home on an infield single by Aiden McMahan. After a pair of walks filled the bases, McMahan came home on a Grey Epps’ sacrifice fly to deep center field.

After two quick outs in the SIU fifth, Walters and Alex Lyon drew walks, ending the evening for Bradley starter Mitch Janssen. Reliever Brian Schrimmer was greeted by McMahan’s bloop single to left, scoring Walters and taking Lyon to third. Weber drove in Lyon with an infield single to put MSU ahead 4-2. Schwimmer avoided further damage which first baseman Connor O’Brien made a diving catch of Philip Archer’s line drive just inside the bag.

Brendan Dougherty led off the Bradley sixth with an infield hit, extending his on-base games streak to 24 games. J.F Garon followed with a walk, and Dan Bolt sacrificed the runners to second and third. Connor O’Brien drove in Dougherty with a ground out with Garon advancing to third. Andy Shadid’s grounder to short was initially ruled an out on Alex Lyon’s strong throw, but replay reversed the decision. Shadid had a single and Garon scored the run to tie at 4-4.

Weber’s double down the left field line started the Saluki eighth coming around to score the lead run on Archer’s line drive to right field.