March 31, 2000

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis University baseball gave Conference USA's top team all it could handle tonight at The Billiken Sports Center before Southern Miss prevailed 2-0. The Billikens (10-14, 2-5 C-USA) managed just four hits and had only one runner advance past first base against Golden Eagle starter Chad Rogers. Saint Louis hurler Dan Shouse (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette) pitched the complete nine innings, allowing just six hits and striking out seven.

Rogers established control over the Billiken bats early, facing the minimum batters through six innings, thanks to double plays in the third and fourth innings. Shouse yielded a lead off triple to shortstop Chris Fishburn in the third as right fielder John McLaughlin (Glencoe, Mo./Eureka) dove to make the catch in shallow right and the ball got to the fence. Shouse forced ground balls from the next two batters before Ben Mosely singled to right to drive in the run.

The sixth inning began innocently for Shouse who got the first batter to fly out, but he then walked Dusty Haley. Haley stole second and advanced to third as catcher Adam Shea's (Chesterfield, Mo./DeSmet) throw glanced off him and ended up in shallow left. Chris Finnegan, USM's leading hitter, grounded out to second, plating Haley in the process.

The Billikens threatened in the seventh as Eric Constable (Chesterfield, Mo./Marquette) led off with a double down the left field line. Kurt Evans (Germantown, Tenn./Christian Bros.) put a bunt single down the first base line that advanced Constable to third. Nick Steiner (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central) came to the plate with runners on the corners and no outs before Evans was caught stealing for the inning's first out. Steiner struck out and Shea grounded out to strand Constable on the corner.

Brandon Shockley (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central) singled to lead off the ninth before Brian Haddock (St. Louis, Mo./SLUH) grounded into the Billikens' third double play of the night. Constable's grounder to short ended the game.

These two teams square off again tomorrow, Sat., April 1, at 1 p.m. at The Billiken Sports Center.