March 4, 2006

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

ST. LOUIS - Hot hitting and gritty play late helped Saint Louis win both games of today's doubleheader against South Dakota State and sweep the three-game series from the Jackrabbits. The Billikens (5-5) claimed game one 12-1 behind a career-high eight strikeouts from starter Eric Rohr and three RBI apiece from senior Tim Landy and junior Gibert Marlowe. Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth in game two, the Billikens used three hits, including the game-winning single from Lance Rhodes, to rally for the 5-4 victory.

In game two, both starting pitchers worked around trouble to hold shutouts through the first three innings. In the top of the fourth, however, the Jackrabbits mounted a two-out rally to take the lead. After Tyberendt fanned the leadoff hitter, Cal Lewis ripped a triple to right center. Brian Estes popped up to Rhodes at second base for the second out, but Tyberendt could not get out of the inning. Kasey Keller slapped an RBI single up the middle, and Justin Morar drove a double to left. Both scored on Zach Miller's single to right center for a 3-0 lead before a pop up closed out the inning.

The Billikens got one run back in the bottom of the fifth after Marlowe led off with a walk and stole second. Matt Mach brought him home with a single to center, but SDSU starter Christian Larson held the lead at 3-1. SLU cut into the lead again with a run in the bottom of the seventh as Larson began to labor. Casey Moore led off with a single down to right and moved to second on Mach's sacrifice. After Rhodes singled to right center to put runners on the corners, Guyre lifted a sacrifice fly to center to pull the Bills to a 3-2 deficit.

SLU went to reliever Etienne Ratte-Delorme in the top of the sixth inning, and the senior right-hander was effective despite giving up a run in the top of the ninth on Jake Rogers' RBI single. Bill Musselman came off the bench to lead off the bottom of the ninth and drove a single to left center. Marlowe reached on an error, and Moore loaded the bases with a single through the left side. A balk from SDSU reliever Caleb Theilbar plated Musselman, and Marlowe tied the score on a wild pitch to set the stage for Rhodes. With Moore on third and just one out, the Jackrabbits pulled Morar in from right field to try to keep the ball in the infield. Rhodes accepted the challenge and lifted a shot into the vacant right field to bring Moore home with the winning run.

In game one, the Billikens jumped on SDSU starter Robby Apo quickly. Greg Rodgers plated a run with a double down the right field line, and Landy brought him home with a single to right. In the second inning, Jon Guyre snuck an RBI single through the right side, and Mach scored on a wild pitch to give the Bills an early 4-0 lead. Meanwhile, Rohr was powering through the Jackrabbit lineup. SDSU cut the lead to 4-1 with an RBI single from Brian Estes in the top of the fifth, but it was the lone blip in Rohr's outing.

SLU used a three-run seventh and a five-run eighth to extend the lead. The eighth inning featured a two-run single from Landy and Marlowe's first home run as a Billiken, which plated the final three runs of the game.

With the pair of victories, the Billikens have won five straight games for the first time since opening the 2002 season 7-0. SLU is back in action on Tue., Mar. 7, with a road game at No. 20 Missouri at 6:30 p.m.