March 24, 2000

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis University baseball jumped out to an early 9-4 lead through three innings only to need a save from sophomore Ben Hutton (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) to secure a 10-8 win over Memphis in Conference USA action tonight at The Billiken Sports Center. Saint Louis had plenty of offense with 10 hits, but five errors were costly. Designated hitter Mike Orrico (Boca Raton, Fla./Olympic Heights) recorded three RBI, including a solo home run in the third inning.

A five run first inning sparked the offense after Billiken starter Ryan Warnecke (Highland, Ill./BAC) yielded one run in the top of the inning. Catcher Adam Shea (Chesterfield, Mo./DeSmet) walked with the bases loaded to score Eric Constable (Chesterfield, Mo./Marquette) who had drawn a lead off walk. Jim Bredenkoetter (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet) singled down the third base line to plate Brandon Shockley (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central). The next batter, Orrico, singled to center to drive in both Shea and Nick Steiner (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central). Bredenkoetter later scored as the Tigers' catcher attempted to throw out Orrico stealing second base.

Memphis scored three runs in the second, but the Billikens answered with a pair in both the second and third innings and one run in the sixth. Jason Schlautman (Chesterfield, Mo./DeSmet) came on in relief of Warnecke in the fourth, yielding only one run, unearned, in five innings.

The Billikens went down in order in the bottom of the eighth to set up Memphis in the ninth. Schlautman walked the lead off hitter, Nathan Sams, who was sacrificed to second on the next play. With two outs in the inning, Schlautman got pinch hitter Henry Castor to ground out to third, but a bad throw from Bredenkoetter allowed Sams to score. An unsettled Saint Louis pitcher walked the next batter before head coach Bob Hughes brought in Hutton to close the deal. Hutton got Paul Reuer to ground out to short for the final out to record Hutton's first save of the season.

Schlautman (1-1) got the win for the Billikens while Memphis starter Jonathan Leicester took the loss.

These two teams square off again tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. at The Billiken Sports Center. Play-by-play man Scott Warman will have the call live on WINU 880 AM radio.