March 2, 2002

Final Stats

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Saint Louis University baseball used four one-run innings to slowly build a 4-3 win over Belmont University this afternoon at Greer Stadium. With the victory, the Billikens open a season 5-0 for the first time since the 1966 squad started the year with an 8-0 record. The victory was a team effort as eight of the nine starters recorded either a hit or a run scored on the afternoon.

Junior Corey Lawson set the tone throughout the game both from the mound and at the plate. In earning his second victory in as many starts, Lawson fanned seven Bruins in nine innings while walking just three. Offensively, he helped himself with a single and a run scored in the fourth and what proved to be the game-winning RBI in the seventh.

After taking a 2-0 lead after 3-1/2 innings, the Billikens saw their lead erased in the bottom of the fourth when a leadoff walk, three stolen bases and a pair of hits allowed the Bruins to tie the game The top of the Billiken batting order did its job in the top of the fifth as Ryan Murphy's double down the rightfield line plated Jim Bredenkoetter with the go-ahead run.

Lawson retired the Bruins quietly in the fifth and sixth innings, and things looked good for the Bills when Pat Steinhoff and Bredenkoetter drew walks to open the seventh inning. After a balk further advanced the runners, Lawson drove in Bredenkoetter for an insurance run. It proved to be a necessary one as Belmont rallied in the bottom of the ninth.

With one out in the final frame, Belmont's Jason Warpool drove a double into the gap in right center. Lawson got ryan Pettit to go down swinging for the second out, but Wade Walter laced one up the middle to score Warpool and cut the Billiken lead to 4-3. Scott Browning lined out to second to record the final out and hand Lawson the victory.

Nearly every Billiken contributed with the bat or on the basepaths, but a pair of newcomers led the offense as second baseman Jake Friederich was 3-for-4 and outfielder Kyle Wort went 2-for-4 on the afternoon with each picking up an RBI in the early innings.

Saint Louis completes its tour of the Music City schools against Vanderbilt tomorrow, Mar. 3, at 1 p.m.