April 16, 2006

Box Score

CINCINNATI - Saint Louis junior Ryan Bird continued his strikeout tear with 12 Ks as the Billikens topped Xavier 6-1 this afternoon in the Atlantic 10 series finale. The Musketeers' lone run was unearned, extended the SLU right-hander's string of innings without an earned run to 28-2/3. The Billiken offense put together six runs on just seven hits, including two apiece from senior Jon Guyre and sophomore Greg Rodgers.

SLU took advantage of two Xavier errors to put three runs on the board in the top of the second on just two hits. Rodgers led off with a single up the middle and moved to second when Xavier mishandled a ground ball off the bat of catcher Bill Musselman. Mark Hankes loaded the bases with a single down the right field line, and Ziggy Moore drew a walk to plate the first run of the game. After XU starter Dan Graham recorded the second out of the inning, he hit Guyre with a pitch to give the Bills a 2-0 lead. The inning's second error allowed Hankes to score for a three-run lead before Graham got out of the inning.

The Billikens had defensive problems of their own in the bottom of the second. A leadoff single up the middle from Andy Zellers started things off, and a misplay of a sacrifice bunt put two runners on before Bird retired Danny Hayden for the first out. A second error loaded the bases, and Matt Waskerwitz's ground ball cut the Billikens' lead to 3-1. A walk loaded the bases again, but Bird closed out the inning with a ground ball from Neil Lindgren.

Bird retired the Musketeers in order in the third and fourth innings, and the offense gave him two more runs in the top of the fifth. Gilbert Marlowe reached on an error, which allowed him to go all the way to third. Rodgers' double, the only extra-base hit for the game for either team, pushed the lead to 4-1. Hankes made it a 5-1 game with an RBI ground out. Bird worked around a pair of hits in the bottom of the inning to keep the four-run lead. He similarly avoided trouble in the bottom of the seventh when a double play closed out the inning a kept a single and two walks from cutting into the lead.

SLU added the game's final run in the top of the eighth on an RBI single from Guyre after Moore led off the frame with a single to left. After going down in order in the bottom of the eighth, the Musketeers looked to rally in the ninth as the Billikens committed their third error of the game, but Bird closed with his 12th strikeout to pick up his fourth win of the season.

The Billikens return to action on Wed., Apr. 19, at 7 p.m. in the seventh annual Wood Bat Classic against Missouri at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon, Mo. Tickets are available through the River City Rascals ticket office at 636-240-BATS.