March 18, 2006

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis dropped a 4-0 decision to Purdue at The Billiken Sports Center Saturday afternoon as the Billiken offense could not find enough power to support the solid pitching effort of freshman Dave Sever. The Boilermakers (8-4) took advantage of three Billiken errors to score two unearned runs on Sever, who threw six innings in the loss. Offensively, Tim Landy and Greg Rodgers combined for four of the Billikens' five hits, while Purdue's Eric Wolfe led all hitters with a 3-for-5 afternoon.

Sever was forced to work out of trouble from the opening pitch as he walked leadoff man Mitch Hilligoss. After Hilligoss stole second, Spencer Ingaldson singled before Sever got Wolfe to fly out to left. A John Hunter single loaded the bases for the Boilermakers, but Sever forced two more fly balls to keep Purdue off the board.

The freshman right-hander retired the side in order in the second, and the Billiken offense looked to strike first in the bottom of the frame. Rodgers and Landy each singled to open the inning, but Rodgers was put out on Casey Moore's bunt back to the pitcher. Purdue starter Dan Sattler recorded his first of five strikeouts on the afternoon for the second out, then forced a ground ball to end the inning.

With two outs in the top of the third, Wolfe hammered a double to right and scored on a Billiken miscue on Hunter's ground ball to third. The Boilermakers looked for more in the fourth inning. Sever again retired the first two hitters but saw Jeff Mojzik and Alex Jaffee put back-to-back singles through the right side before striking out Hilligoss.

Landy put a two-out double down the right field line in the fourth, the Billikens' only extra-base hit of the game, but Sattler closed out the inning with a pop-up from Moore. Purdue took advantage of another Billiken error in the top of the fifth. Wolfe doubled to left center and moved to third on Hunter's ground ball to second. A throwing error allowed Ryne White get on base and Wolfe to score for a 2-0 lead.

SLU turned to senior Kurt Struckhoff in the seventh after Sever worked around another error in the sixth. Wolfe got things going with a one-out single up the middle and moved to third on Hunter's double down the left field line, which the Billikens contested was foul. White collected the game's first RBI with a single to center, but Struckhoff limited the damage with a strikeout and a ground ball.

Purdue closed out the scoring in the top of the ninth on White's single down the right field line, which brought home pinch runner Jordan Comadena from second. As White tried to steal second, Neal Gorka was called for batter's interference to end the inning.

A leadoff walk to Tom Pinnell opened the bottom of the ninth, and Rodgers moved him to second with a single to right center, but Purdue reliever Chris Toneguzzi wrapped up the victory with a strikeout and a ground ball.

The two teams wrap up their three-game series on Sun., Mar. 19,, at 1 p.m. at The Billiken Sports Center.