WSU 20, MSU 3, a final: Weber drives in six. Gillaspie drives in five. A tournament beatdown of the Bears that ranks with the 15-1 2004 championship game victory by WSU.
WSU 14, MSU 3: Tyler Weber hits a two-run homer.
WSU 12, MSU 3, bottom of the fifth: Gillaspie hits a two-run homer.
Here’s the question circulating in the pressbox. In this format, with MSU playing at 7 tonight, should the Bears basically pack it in? It is to their advantage to get this game over quickly, save their bullpen and get some rest before tonight. They could come back from nine runs down, but it’s not likely. Their attention is on the three games in less than 24 hours they must win to win the tournament. Your answer, in part, is MSU’s decision to bring in Jon Barnes (8.90 ERA) in relief in the second inning. If nothing else, coach Keith Guttin is saving his bullpen as much as possible.
WSU 9, MSU 0, bottom of the second: MSU starter Buddy Baumann blew up in the second. He walked the No. 9 hitter and hit Dirks with an 0-2 pitch. After intentionally walking Gillaspie, he walked McKeever on four pitches. Tyler Hill drove in two runs with a single off reliever Jon Barnes.
WSU 3, MSU 0. An error by MSU 2B Chris Playter allows two runs to score. Andy Dirks moves his hitting streak to 25 games and his on-base streak to 69 games with a double.
WSU-MSU is 20 minutes away. No surprises in either lineup. Kevin Hall remains in left for WSU against a lefty. I would think WSU would like to get Kenny Williams some at-bats this tournament to get back in a groove. Hall has been a bit of a late-season revelation. Coaches really liked him early in the spring, but he didn’t hit. He has hits in the four straight games and is 6 for 11 with five RBIs.
SIU 6, Creighton 5, a final. SIU coach Dan Callahan not happy with his team’s body language in the ninth, but the Salukis survive to play at 7 tonight. Creighton coach Ed Servais is even more unhappy with the new tournament format that forced his team to play three games in 24 hours Wednesday and Thursday and a fourth Friday at 11 a.m.
“You couldn’t ask for more disadvantages,” he said. “It’s ludicrous to play four games in 48 hours and expect your kids to play hard. We’re a third seed and we got screwed.”
SIU 6, Creighton 3, bottom of the eighth: CU’s Steve Winklelmann hits a two-run homer to close the gap. SIU is three outs away from a 7 p.m. game against the WSU-MSU loser.
SIU 6, Creighton 1, two outs in the seventh: The Salukis have scored three in the inning to open up a gap.
SIU 3, Creighton 1, bottom of the seventh: SIU keeps wasting runners, but Creighton can’t take advantage. Is it good pitching on the third day of the tournament or bad hitting?
SIU 3, Creighton 1 in the third. SIU’s Mark Kelly hits a two-run homer to left.
Creighton 1, SIU 0, bottom of the first.