March 9, 2005

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - Bradley scored six runs in the final three innings to push past Saint Louis 8-2 this afternoon at The Billiken Sports Center. Junior Jon Guyre (Hazelwood, Mo./DeSmet) drove in both runs for the Billikens (2-7) on a perfect 3-for-3 afternoon, but the Braves capitalized on a pair of Billiken errors with two outs in the seventh to open a comfortable 5-1 lead.

Saint Louis starter Eric Brewer worked out of trouble in the top of the second, forcing the Braves to leave the bases loaded with two of his four strikeouts of the afternoon. The Billikens struck first in the bottom of the frame as senior Drew Eder scored after leading off the inning with a walk. After a double steal pushed Eder to third and Patrick Valdez to second, Guyre beat out an infield single to bring Eder home. Braves starter Josh Caruso issued a walk to senior John Bridges to load the bases again, but got a pop up to end the inning and hold the Billikens to just a 1-0 lead.

Brewer gave up a leadoff home run to BU's Peter Malinkowski in the top of the fourth to tie the game. The Billikens looked to answer in the bottom of the inning after Bill Musselman reached on an error and moved to second on B.J. Rodrigue's single up the middle. Saint Louis loaded the bases when Guyre drew a walk, but Caruso left all three stranded with two of his seven strikeouts on the afternoon. Bradley's Brad Canada sent a shot over the wall in the fifth for the Braves' first lead of the game.

Saint Louis looked to take advantage of BU reliever Peter Elmer in the bottom of the sixth after Guyre roped a double to left field and moved to third on a wild pitch. But Elmer notched two of his six strikeouts to hold the one-run lead. Billiken reliever Chris Paulson was efficient early in the seventh, retiring the first two hitters, before the next two Braves reached on back-to-back errors. After a walk loaded the bases, BU's Ryan Kenny brought them all in with a three-run double to left center, pushing the lead to 5-1.

The Billikens got a run back in the bottom of the eighth on Guyre's double to left center, but two more strikeouts ended the momentum. The Braves got to Eric Rohr in the top of the ninth, recording five singles to plate three runs before an inning-ending double play stopped the lead at 8-2.

Brewer took the loss for SLU in his first start of the season despite giving up just four hits in five innings. Caruson picked up the win in his first decision of the year, allowing five hits and striking out seven in five innings. Kenny led all hitters with four RBI, while Guyre's three hits were a game-high. Junior Johnny Sweeney added a pair of hits for the Billikens as well.

Saint Louis hosts its first weekend series of the season when Illinois-Chicago visits for three games beginning Fri., Mar. 11, at 2 p.m.