Maybe the rest of Salem International's line-up should start listening to Eugene Repa.
After falling victim to a West Virginia Wesleyan no-hitter in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader, the Tigers found one person who could swing the bat.
Repa's RBI single in the fifth provided the wining run in Game 2, and SIU earned a split over Wesleyan.
SIU's third baseman also singled in the third after grounding out in the first. The difference, he said, was jumping on the fastball.
"The first time up, I noticed he threw it right down there. I took it," Repa said. "The second time I just went at it, and the third time I just went at it again."
This is exactly what the Tigers need to do to break out of their team slump, coach Brad Warnimont said. Over the last three games, SIU has picked up five hits. Repa was responsible for the two second-game singles.
"We're missing a lot of fastballs right down the middle that we're not pulling the trigger on," Warnimont said.
"We're trying to hit the pitcher's second pitch, and you can't do that in baseball. We need to try to stay inside and take the thing the other way. Teams have been successful pitching us away, so we're working on that."
While Repa was the Tigers' hero in the nightcap, Ernie Gooding played the role for the Bobcats in Game 1 with the no-hitter.
He got offensive help from Eric Shmook (3-for-4, double), Billy Gorman (2-for-3, solo homer, double) and Greg Gasparovic (2-for-3, double), and Wesleyan came away with the 7-0 victory.
Gooding only allowed one baserunner. The only question was how it was scored -- a hit or an error.
SIU's Gabe Devono hit one through the left side of the infield in the third inning. He made it to first safely on a bobbled fielding attempt.
"That's one of the reasons why I wasn't playing into (the no-hitter) too much, because I figured I might've given up a hit," Gooding said.
"I really was relaxed. I took it into the seventh figuring I might have had it, and I just tried to place the ball in there. The defense took a couple of hits away, and it all came together."
Although a no-hitter is tough act to follow, SIU's Game 2 starter Josh Thomas gave it a shot. Thomas threw a two-hitter of his own and retired 10 in a row -- until the seventh.
With one out to go, Gasparovic launched a solo homer to left-center. Adam Taylor singled, and Ed Eckenroad walked, and Wesleyan had a rally with the go-ahead run on first.
But Thomas ended the noise on a fielder's choice and preserved the 2-1 complete-game victory.
"His fastball was on, and that's his best pitch," Warnimont said. "You have to ride that. But you can make some mistakes in the mid- to upper-80s with some movement."
Sports writer Rob Peirce can be reached at 626-1444 or by e-mail at sports@exponent-telegram.com.
