March 11, 2006

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis junior Eric Rohr and sophomore Greg Rodgers combined on the mound and at the plate to lead the Billikens to a decisive 11-0 victory over Illinois-Chicago this afternoon at The Billiken Sports Center. Rohr picked up the complete-game shutout, allowing just six hits and striking out seven, while Rodgers was a perfect 4-for-4 and two doubles and four RBI. The Billikens (7-6) scored multiple runs in five of the eight innings, and Rohr forced the Flames (3-9) to leave the bases loaded in both the fifth and sixth innings to key the victory.

Rodgers picked up his first RBI in the bottom of the first with a one-out single that plated Ryan Crespi from second base. Johnny Sweeney made it a 2-0 lead when he scored from third on a wild pitch. After leaving two men stranded in the bottom of the second, the Billiken offense came back with two more runs in the bottom of the third. Gilbert Marlowe plated Rodgers with a sacrifice fly, and Casey Moore's double to right center brought home Bill Musselman, who had reached on a double.

Crespi got the fourth inning going with a one-out single through the left side and came home on Sweeney's double that fell just beyond the reach of a diving Ted Rosinski in left field. Rodgers traded places with Sweeney with a double over the head of UIC centerfielder Larry Gempp Jr. The Flames turned to their third pitcher of the afternoon, Zach Wright, to close out the inning, trailing 6-0.

Rohr continued to roll through the first two batters of the top of the fifth before the Flames looked to generate some offense. Ryan Schweikert singled up the middle, and Chad Schroeder drew a walk. Leadoff man Jake Carr legged out an infield single to load the bases for UIC before Rohr got Nick Rainwater to fly out to center and end the threat.

The Flames went right back to work in the top of the sixth as Mark Hallberg opened with a single through the left side and Justin Johnson reached on an error. After a pair of pop-ups, Barb Babineaux worked a walk from Rohr to again load the bases for UIC. Rohr stepped up to retire Schweikert with his fourth strikeout of the day.

The SLU offense responded to Rohr's strikeout by adding two more runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning. Crespi opened with a single and moved to second when Sweeney drew a walk. Rodgers ripped a double down the right field line to bring home Crespi, but Sweeney was thrown out at the plate. With Rodgers moving to third on the throw home, Musselman's single to left gave the Bills an 8-0 margin and forced the Flames back to the bullpen for Jake Wasechek. After walking the first batter he faced, Wasechek induced a pair of fly balls to close out the inning.

Rohr worked around a single and an error in the top of the seventh, and the Bills tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the frame. Rodgers picked up another RBI on a bases-loaded walk, and Musselman plated a run on a bases-loaded ground ball to third. Moore closed out the scoring with an RBI single to right to bring Rodgers home.

With the win, Rohr improved to 2-1 on the season, while UIC freshman starter Don Phillis fell to 0-4. In addition to Rodgers, Crespi, Sweeney, Musselman and Moore each recorded a pair of hits. Musselman and Moore added two RBI apiece.

The teams close out the series on Sun., Mar. 12, at Noon.