March 29, 2002

Final Stats

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Saint Louis University was overwhelmed by Tulane 16-2 in Conference USA baseball action tonight at Turchin Stadium. A seven-run second inning by Tulane put Saint Louis in a hole from which it could not emerge as the Green Wave out-hit the Billikens 20-6, including three doubles, three triples and three home runs.

The Billikens were down early when back-to-back one-out triples generate the Wave's first run of the game in the bottom of the second. A pair of singles and a double later, the score was 5-0 and Tulane wasn't finished. The inning wrapped up with two more singles and a double steal of second and home that gave the Green Wave what would prove to be an insurmountable 7-0 lead.

Saint Louis finally broke through on Tulane starter Nick Bourgeois in the top of the fourth, starting with Kurt Evans' leadoff walk. Evans moved into scoring position on a balk and scored two batters later on Ryan Murphy's single to right. Bourgeois recovered quickly and, with runners on first and second got Corey Lawson to ground into a double play and end the inning.

The Green Wave answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth and posted another big inning with six runs on six hits in the fifth. Saint Louis got a leadoff double from Evans to open the sixth inning, and Jim Bredenkoetter picked up the RBI with a single to right center. Again, Bourgeois would not allow the Bills to get momentum as he got two of the next three batters out without allowing another run. Tulane capped the scoring with a solo home run from Chris Taylor in the bottom of the eighth.

The Billikens fell to 9-12 on the season and 1-6 in C-USA action, while the Green Wave snapped a six-game losing streak to improve to 14-14 overall and 2-5 in the league. For Saint Louis, junior starter Zach Placzek took the loss as he gave up nine runs, eight earned, on 12 hits and struck out two. Bourgeois picked up the win for Tulane, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out eight in seven innings of work.

The two teams continue their three-game series tomorrow, Mar. 30, at 2 p.m.