Feb. 18, 2005

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis baseball dropped a 12-8 decision at Western Kentucky to open the 2005 campaign. Five Billikens put up two hits each, including senior Scott Peden and junior Matt Gerst who hit the season's first home runs, but SLU could not overcome a seven-run Hilltopper seventh inning.

After giving up an unearned run in the bottom of the second, Saint Louis' hitters went to work in the top of the fourth. Jon Guyre led off with a bunt single and moved to second when Pat Steinhoff walked. Gerst plated the first run of the season with a single, and Peden added two more runs with a home run. Drew Eder's single kept things going before WKU pitcher Grady Hinchman retired the next two hitters to get out of the inning.

A double and a sacrifice fly cut the SLU lead to 3-2, but the Billikens got the run back on Steinhoff's sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth. Western Kentucky took advantage of a hit batter and the first walk issued by SLU starter Ryan Bird to put up three runs in the bottom of the inning and take a 5-4 lead.

Sophomore Bill Musselman tied the game in the next frame with an RBI single to left to score Johnny Sweeney from second. Saint Louis again pulled ahead on Western Kentucky error in the top of the seventh before the Hilltoppers tacked seven runs on junior reliever Adam Schroeder in the bottom of the inning. A wild pitch on strike three opened the inning, and WKU's Jordan Newton made the Billikens pay with a two-run home run. Three doubles, a sacrifice fly and a fielder's choice later, the Hilltoppers had an 11-6 lead and forced Schroeder to turn the game over to freshman Mark Zielinski. The young right-hander battled in his first collegiate appearance and gave up one more run before getting out of the inning.

The Billiken bats went quiet in the eighth, but were rejuvenated by sophomore Eric Rohr's return to the in the bottom of the inning, in which he retired the Hilltoppers in quick order. Steinhoff led off with a single to right and came home on Gerst's round-tripper to cut the lead to 12-8. Peden drew a walk from reliever Miles Orman, and Eder single to right to set up the comeback. The Hilltoppers went to Kenny Griffin out of the bullpen, and the sophomore retired the next three hitters to preserve the victory.

Gerst tied WKU's Marcus Ross and Newton for game-high honors with three RBI. Steinhoff, Gerst, Peden, Eder and Sweeney each recorded two hits for Saint Louis, while WKU got a perfect 4-for-4 outing from Newton.

WKU improves to 1-3 on the season, while the Bilikens fall to 0-1. Schroeder took the loss for SLU, and reliever Greg Durr picked up his first win of the season for the Hilltoppers.

The two teams meet again tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m.