Shockers drop series finale at SIU

If there is a silver lining following Wichita State’s 4-1 loss to Southern Illinois on Sunday in Carbondale, Ill., it is WSU starter Clayton McGinness.

The sophomore went 7 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits. He walked two and struck out four while throwing 90 pitches, including 62 for strikes (.689 ratio). Two of the three runs he gave up came after he was taken out in the eighth. The only run he had allowed until the eighth came in the third. Leftfielder Travis Young tried to made a diving catch on Will Farmer’s drive and it rolled to the wall for a run-scoring triple.

SIU’s Michael Baird tossed a complete-game four-hitter and had WSU hitters puzzled as the Salukis won the series, 2-1.

WSU (16-27, 6-6 MVC) scored its only run in the eighth when Chase Rader hit his second home run of the season.

In fact, only Rader and Gunnar Troutwine reached third base against Baird. Troutwine hit a one-out single in the second, went to second on Chase Rader’s infield out and advanced to third on a passed ball.

Dayton Dugas struck out to end the inning. It was the only WSU at-bat with runners in scoring position.

Baird yielded a two-out hit in the fourth to Alec Bohm, but Troutwine struck out for the third out. Baird then retired the next nine batters.

Notes: SIU (25-18, 6-6) broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the eighth. With the bases loaded, Greg Lambert hit a foul pop-up down the right-field line that first baeman Greyson Jenista made a running catch. He wheeled and threw wildly to home that went into the SIU duggout. Ryan Sabo tagged at third and scored on the sacrifice fly, and Connor Kopach, who was on second, was allowed to trot home on the error. Dyllin Mucha, who was on first, went to third. Logan Blackfan doubled in Mucha. . . . Jenista’s error was the only error made by WSU in the series. In the last 10 games, WSU had made just five errors. . . . Jenista’s eight-game hitting streak was snapped. . . . Bohm has an eight-game hitting streak, getting one hit in each of the three games at SIU. . . . Baird threw 110 pitches, 74 for strikes (.673). . . . The loss drops WSU into a tie for fourth in the MVC with SIU (25-18-1, 6-6). SIU will get all ties with WSU after taking the series two games to one. Evansville and Indiana State are tied for second at 7-5, behind Dallas Baptist’s 8-3. . . WSU was 0 for 4 batting with runners on base while SIU was 2 for 7 with runners in scoring position and 4 for 11 with runners on base. . . . WSU will face Kansas State on Tuesday in Manhattan and Wednesday at Eck Stadium. . . . Rader’s homer was just the second allowed by Baird in 76 2/3 innings. . . . The Shockers turned their fifth double play in their last five games.

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This story was originally published May 1, 2016 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Shockers drop series finale at SIU."