April 19, 2006

Box Score

O'FALLON, Mo. - Saint Louis dropped a 4-0 decision to Missouri in the seventh annual wood bat game at T.R. Hughes Ballpark tonight. With both teams changing pitchers nearly every inning, both offense struggled to get find a rhythm, but the Tigers banged out seven hits, including a two-run home run from Trevor Helms in the second inning. For SLU, Tim Landy registered the only hit with a single in the fifth inning.

The Tigers threatened in the top of the first, but SLU starter Dan Cowsert kept them off the board with a pair of strikeouts to leave runners stranded on the corners. Mizzou took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Helms ripped a two-run home run over the left field wall, making Cowsert pay for a leadoff walk to John McKee. The Billikens' Johnny Sweeney was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the inning and moved to second on Casey Moore's ground ball to short, but both were left stranded when the Tigers turned an inning-ending double play.

Mizzou made it a 4-0 margin with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. A pair of singles against SLU reliever Justin Wise opened the inning. A collision at first caused a Billiken error and allowed Derek Chambers to score from second on the miscue. J.C. Field picked up the RBI on a ground out before Wise closed out the frame.

Tim Landy picked up the Billikens' first hit of the night with a two-out single through the left side. He moved to second on a wild pitch, but MU reliever Taylor Parker wrapped up the inning with a ground ball off the bat of Ziggy Moore.

After Struckhoff dealt a pair of strikeouts to close out the sixth inning, Lance Rhodes retired the Tigers in order in the eighth, and Eric Rohr kept it a 4-0 game when he struck out Kyle Mach to leave Tigers stranded on the corners.

Cowsert took the loss for SLU, falling to 1-1 on the season as he struck out three but allowed two hits in two innings. MU's Rick Zagone picked up his third win of the season, despite throwing just one inning.

Saint Louis returns to The Billiken Sports Center for a three-game Atlantic 10 Conference series this weekend against Massachusetts. The series begins on Fri., Apr. 21, at 7 p.m.