April 14, 2000

Box Score

TAMPA - Saint Louis University scored five runs in the top of the fourth, but finished no other scoring opportunities as the Billikens fell 6-5 at South Florida tonight in Conference USA baseball action. Although the Billikens out-hit the Bulls 10-7, Saint Louis starter Dan Shouse (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette) yielded five runs in just three innings as the Bulls' bats were hot early.

The South Florida offense was out quickly, scoring two runs on four hits in the bottom of the first and one run each in the second and third innings before Saint Louis even got on the board. The Billiken fourth began with a fly ball to left, but improved from there as Jim Bredenkoetter (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet), Adam Shea (Chesterfield, Mo./DeSmet), Nick Steiner (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central) and Mike Orrico (Boca Raton, Fla./Olympic Heights) put together a string of singles that resulted in two RBI for Orrico. Leftfielder Kurt Evans (Germantown, Tenn./Christian Bros.) stepped up with his first triple of these season to clear the bases and plate two more runs. Shortstop Paul Miles (St. Louis, Mo./Jefferson College) laid down a sacrifice bunt that drove in Evans for the final run of the inning and give Saint Louis a 5-4 lead.

Shouse came on in the fourth and gave up a leadoff walk and a single before Brad Wehrfritz (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central) came on in relief. The sophomore gave up a walk before getting a double play that allowed one run to score. A grounder to second ended the inning, but not before the Bulls tied the game at five.

The Billikens mounted a two-out threat in the fifth with a walk to Shea and another Steiner single, but the Billiken second baseman was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. Wehrfritz put the Bulls down in order in the bottom half of the frame, but the Billikens were similarly retired in the top of the sixth.

Wehrfritz struggled in the sixth, yielding a pair of walks to open the inning. Tim Crosby sacrificed the runners to second and third before Wehrfritz got the second out with a strike out. The next batter, Mike Eylward, walked and was thrown out at second on a wild pitch that also allowed the go-ahead run to cross the plate. Saint Louis got runners on in the eighth with a Bredenkoetter single and Orrico getting hit by a pitch. Evans put a single into left to keep the run going, but Bredenkoetter was thrown out at the plate to end the threat.

These two teams meet again on Sat., April 15 at noon (CT) for the second installment of the three-game series.