April 21, 2006

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis dropped a 5-4 decision to Massachusetts in Atlantic 10 baseball action tonight at The Billiken Sports Center. After coming back from a 3-0 lead in the first inning, the Billikens saw the Minutemen chip away at freshman starter Dave Sever for two more runs then hold on for the win in the bottom of the ninth. Sophomore Greg Rodgers drove in three of the Billikens' four runs with a double in the bottom of the first to tie the game, while junior Ryan Crespi posted three hits, including a double.

The Minutemen were offensive early when leadoff man Ryan Franczek ripped Sever's first pitch into left field for a double. Lou Prioetti followed with a single up the middle, and Bryan Adamski poked a one-out single through the left side for a 1-0 lead. Bryan Garrity and Jim MacDonald added RBI singles to the inning before Sever got Travis Munsey to ground into an inning-ending double play.

SLU answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the first. Jon Guyre opened with a single off the ankle of UMass pitcher David Sullivan and moved to third on Crespi's double to left field. After Sullivan hit Gilbert Marlowe to load the bases, Rodgers ripped his double to deep center field to knot the game 3-3.

Back with a clean slate, both starting pitchers settled down in the second and third innings. UMass cranked the bats back up in the fourth as Joe Cotone slapped a single up the middle, and Munsey laid down a bunt single to move him to second. Both men advanced on Derrick Durepo's sacrifice, and Franczek picked up the RBI on a single to right center. A hit batter and a wild pitch came back to haunt Sever in the top of the fifth when MacDonald pushed the lead to 5-3 with an RBI single to right.

The Billikens looked to get back in it in the bottom of the eighth when Crespi led off with a single in the hole at short. He swiped second and moved to third when Garrity's throw got away from the shortstop. Marlowe drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Rodgers, whose double play plated Crespi but left the bases empty with two outs.

After SLU reliever Eric Rohr pitched around a pair of hits to hold the deficit to one run in the top of the ninth, the Minutemen brought Adamski to the mound to close out the Billikens. The closer put the tying run on when he walked Tim Landy, but induced two foul outs to first base to collect his third save of the season.

Sullivan improved to 2-4 with the win as the Minutemen pushed their record to 7-18 overall and 5-8 in A-10 play. The Billikens fell to 19-17 on the season and 8-5 in the A-10, while Sever suffered his first loss in league play and fell to 4-3 on the year.

The two teams meet again on Sat., Apr. 22, at 1 p.m. at The Billiken Sports Center.