April 14, 2002

Final Stats

FT. WORTH, Texas - Saint Louis University was shutout for the second time in three games as the Billikens fell 14-0 at TCU in Conference USA baseball action this afternoon at TCU Diamond. The Horned Frogs had the offense going early, scoring seven runs in the third inning en route to the decisive seven-inning victory. The Billikens (13-19, 4-11 C-USA) posted just five hits, including a pair of doubles from sophomore Drew Eder, while allowing TCU 18 hits on the afternoon.

The Billikens were confident going into the game as proven pitcher Corey Lawson took the mound. The junior righthander was off to a good start through two innings, but ran into trouble for the first time all season in the third. TCU opened the frame with a leadoff double and scored the first of their seven runs in the inning two batters later on a one-out single from Chris Meeks. A triple, three singles and a home run later, the Billikens were in a definitive hole.

After getting the first batter of the fourth inning out, Lawson gave up a pair of singles and a double as the flood gates looked to be opening again. For just the second time in eight starts, Lawson yielded the mound to a Billiken reliever. With runners on second and third and one out, sophomore Kris Weber took over and got Walter Olmstead to strike out for the second out of the inning. A Mike Settle single to left plated both runners before he could get out of the inning, however, and the Bills were down 10-0.

Meanwhile, TCU starter Patrick Newburn was mowing down the Billikens at the plate, not allowing more than one hit in an inning. Not that he needed any more run support, but the Frogs offense wasn't done. A leadoff double in the fifth started a two-run inning to push the lead to 12-0 and force Weber to turn the game over to closer Dave Guntorius in the sixth. Three errors in the sixth inning allowed two more runs to scoe on just two hits.

For the Billikens, Lawson fell to 6-2 on the season after giving up 10 runs on 13 hits in 3-1/3 innings, the shortest outing of his career. Offensively, Eder's two doubles were the team's only extra-base hits. Juniors Ryan Murphy, Andrew Slania and Jake Friederich each pickd up singles for the Bills. For TCU, Newburn tossed the complete game, striking out seven and allowing just five hits in seven innings of work. Terry Trofholz was the biggest of the productive hitters, going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored. Mike Settle and Marshall Wilson each also picked up three RBI in the victory.

Saint Louis continues its five-game road swing at Bradley on Tue., Apr. 16, at 5:30 p.m. The Billikens then travel to Missouri on Wed., Apr. 17, for a makeup game with the Tigers at 6:30 p.m.