Feb. 17, 2007

Box Score

TROY, Ala. - Saint Louis played better than it did in the season opener, but Troy pinch hitter Kevin Weidlich's grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning added up to a 5-1 loss for the Saint Louis baseball team on Saturday afternoon in Troy, Ala.

The Bills (0-2) gained the early lead in the top of the second inning. With one out, Bill Musselman sent a double down the left field line. Casey Moore immediately followed with a RBI single to put SLU up 1-0.

Troy (4-2) consistently put runners in scoring position, including getting the tying run to third base in the third inning. The Trojans finally broke into the scoring column with one out in the fifth. Steven Felix singled to centerfield and Brett Pierce drove him in with a double to left center to knot the score at 1-1.

Saint Louis starting pitcher Ryan Bird was lifted in favor of Brock Hewitt at the start of the sixth. Things went well for the senior until the eighth inning when he surrendered a one-out single to Ian Craze. Musselman eliminated the immediate threat when he cut down Craze trying to steal for the second out. However, Hewitt gave up consecutive singled and surrendered a walk to load the bases, setting up Weidlich's game-winning heroics.

Reliever Tim Wheeler retired the side in the ninth inning to give his team the victory. Wheeler allowed just one hit in two innings of work. In three innings of relief for the Billikens, Hewitt surrendered four hits, four earned runs and one strikeout while allowing one walk.

Gilbert Marlowe and Musselman, who had a pair of doubles, led the Billikens with two hits apiece.

The two teams play the final game of the series on Sun., Feb. 18 at 1 p.m.