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The SIU baseball team was able to come back from a 3-0 deficit Wednesday but its bullpen put the game out of reach.

Critical two-run seventh and eighth innings were enough to give Middle Tennessee State a 7-3 win against the Salukis (3-5) Wednesday at Reese Smith Field.

The Blue Raiders (7-1-1) broke a 3-3 tie open in the seventh against SIU pitchers Nick Rice and Adam Curynski.

With a runner on second, junior outfielder Nathan Hines singled to right. Senior third baseman Zach Barrett walked and junior reliever Daniel Wells came in to face sophomore right fielder Blake McDade.

McDade knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly to give them a 4-3 lead.

After senior reliever Ian Reinhart came in to relieve Wells, a costly throwing error by sophomore third baseman Lou Johanns allowed Hines to score and give Middle Tennessee State the lead for good.

Rice, a freshman, picked up his first loss for SIU.

The Blue Raiders put the game out of reach by adding a pair of runs in the eighth inning.

The Salukis chipped away at the lead with a two-run fourth before adding another run in the fifth courtesy of sophomore first baseman Tyler Choate's RBI single.

In the fourth, sophomore right fielder Aaron Roberts singled and advanced to second on Choate's groundout. Johanns followed with an RBI single, then advanced to second on a wild pitch and took third after a balk by freshman pitcher Bryce Brentz.

"We didn't help him (Brentz) defensively," Blue Raiders coach Steve Peterson said in a post-game radio interview. "We had a couple errors and we messed up a routine double play."

Senior shortstop Owen Mackedon reached on a throwing error by Barret and Johanns scored on the play. After a pair of walks, senior left fielder Adam Hills came to the plate with the bases loaded but flied out to end the threat.

Sophomore pitcher Chad Edwards earned his second win of the season after tossing 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.

Senior reliever Langdon Stanley closed the game out in the ninth for his first save of the season.

Peterson said the away games have really bothered SIU.

"We were able to work out things financially and get them some money to get them here but I'm sure it's hard for them to play on the road so much," Peterson said.

This was the sixth "home" game to be moved from Abe Martin Field in Carbondale due to the winter weather.

Matt Hartwig can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 282 or at mhartwig@siu.edu.

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