April 1, 2006

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis won its second-consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference series by winning both halves of today's doubleheader against Duquesne at The Billiken Sports Center. The wins came in vastly different fashions as SLU (13-12, 4-2 A-10) battled out a 5-4 win in game one before cruising to an 11-1 decision in game two. Gilbert Marlowe drove in three runs in game one, including two in the bottom of the sixth to give the Bills a lead they would not relinquish. In game two, Bill Musselman pounded out four hits, including a double, as the Billikens out-hit the Dukes 18-5 in just seven innings.

In game one, the Billikens cracked the scoreboard first with when Ryan Crespi drove a triple just inside the left field line and scored in Marlowe's single to center in the bottom of the third. The Dukes knotted it up in the top of the fourth as Derek Mechling stole home on a delay when catcher Casey Moore's throw went to second in an attempt to pick off Mike Carroll who broke from first.

SLU manufactured a run in the bottom of the fifth after Matt Mach led off with a single to center, moved to second on Jon Guyre's sacrifice and raced home on an error by the third baseman. Again, the Dukes had the answer, this time with two runs in the top of the sixth. Back-to-back singles opened the inning, and Brock Hewitt hit Carroll to load the bases. Eric Morrison picked up the tying RBI on a sacrifice fly, and Dante Plassio plated the go-ahead run the same way after SLU reliever B.J. Rodrigue took over for Hewitt.

Trailing 3-2, the Billiken bats came alive in the bottom of the sixth. Tim Landy singled, and Ziggy Moore drew a walk to start the comeback. After both advanced on a wild pitch, Mach plated Landy with a single through the left side. The Dukes went to the bullpen for Nick Jones, who gave up a single to Guyre, but saw Moore thrown out at the plate for the second out. After Crespi drew a walk to load the bases, Marlowe put a single in center deep enough to bring home Mach and Guyre for a 5-3 lead.

The Dukes opened the eighth with a single up the middle from Mechling, but Rodrigue cleared the bases with a double play ball off the bat of Carroll. Eric Morrison would not let the rally end, however as he put a two-out single through the left side and scored on Plassio's double down the right field line for a 5-4 game before Rodrigue closed out the inning with another ground ball. Gary Pierpont started the ninth with a single to left center and got all the way to third, but a fly ball off the bat of Aaron Janusey wrapped up the win for Rodrigue.

Game two offense started early with the Dukes scoring a run in the top of the first on a pair of singles and a Billiken error. SLU answered in the bottom, also on two singles and an error. Landy opened the home half of the second with a single, moved to second on Mach's sacrifice and took third on a single from Tom Pinnell. Guyre drove a single to right for a 2-1 lead. After Duquesne reliever Joe Kaye kept the Billikens off the board in the third despite three hits. After SLU starter Ryan Bird worked around a single and two hit batters to leave the bases loaded in the top of the fourth,Kaye retired the Billikens in order in the bottom of the inning.

The floodgates opened in the bottom of the fifth, however. Musselman and Ziggy Moore ground ball that retired Sweeney but then was mishandled on the attempt at a double play. Landy picked up two RBI with a double down the left field line, and, after the Dukes went to the bullpen for Travis Rife, Mach plated Landy with a single to center field for a 6-1 lead.

Bird rolled through the top of the sixth, and the Billiken offense added two more runs on three hits and a hit batter in the bottom of the inning. The Dukes went in order in the seventh as well, while Mach led off the bottom of the inning with a walk. A Pinnell single pushed him to second, and Guyre loaded the bases with a single through the left side. Crespi's ground ball plated Guyre, and Rodgers' single again loaded the bases for the Billikens. After Musselman's RBI double down the left field line, a wild pitch brought Crespi home from third for an 11-1 lead, which, by A-10 rule, also brought the game to an end.

Bird picked up his second complete-game victory of the season as he allowed just one unearned run on five hits and struck out three in seven innings to improve to 3-4 on the year. Harlte took the loss, falling to 0-2 on the season. Musselman's four hits were a game high, while Landy added three hits and matched Musselman's two RBI.

The Billikens return to action at The Billiken Sports Center on Tue., Apr. 4, with a 2 p.m. game against Southeast Missouri State.