March 14, 2007

Box Score

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Missouri pushed five runs across in the first inning and never looked back in a 19-1 victory over Saint Louis tonight at Taylor Stadium. Saint Louis senior Gilbert Marlowe was 2-for-2 on the night, accounting for two of the Billikens' five hits, while junior Greg Rodgers collected the lone RBI. The Tigers scored in all but the fifth inning as SLU used six pitchers.

The game had an auspicious beginning for SLU starter Eric Brewer as three walks, an error and a double brought in a run and loaded the bases. The difficultly sent the Billikens to the bullpen early for Eric Mueller. A double play got the Bills back on track, but another error allowed five runs to score in the inning. After quickly recording the first two outs of the second inning, Mueller saw a walk, a single and a double open the floodgates. The Tigers again sent five players across the plate for an early 10-0 lead.

In the top of the third, sophomore Tom Pinnell opened with a double down the left field line. A pair of ground balls later, he crossed the plate in what would be the Billikens' only run of the outing. The Tigers got the run back in the bottom of the frame on a pair of hits. A pair of RBI doubles from Kurt Calvert and Brock Bond plated two more runs in the bottom of the fourth before Dan Cowsert finally blanked the Tigers in the fifth.

Missouri needed just one hit, a double from Greg Folgia, to score three runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Tigers added a run in the bottom of the seventh and two more in the eighth for the final margin of victory.

Eight of Missouri's nine starters recorded at last one hit, as did three players off the bench. Calvert drove in a game-high three runs, while Gary Arndt picked up a game-high three hits. Brewer took the loss for SLU, falling to 0-2 on the season. Ian Berger improved to 2-1 on the season as he allowed just one run on four hits in five innings as the starter.

Saint Louis hosts Illinois State in a three-game weekend series at The Billiken Sports Center, beginning at 2 p.m. on Fri., March 16.