March 17, 2007

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis needed three extra innings but picked up its second-straight victory with a 5-4 decision over Illinois State amid snow flurries this afternoon at The Billiken Sports Center. Senior Ryan Crespi delivered the game-winning hit to plate freshman L.J. Watson from third with two outs in the bottom of the 12th inning. Junior B.J. Rodrigue picked up the win for the Billikens with three innings of two-hit relief.

In the second game of the weekend series, it took the offense two innings to crack through solid pitching from both starters. The Redbirds struck first in the top of the third, capitalizing on a Billiken error. A leadoff single from Kyle O'Brien got things going, and he moved to second on a fielding error on Dan Weston's ground ball. SLU starter Ryan Bird got Collin Salzenstein to fly out for the second out, but saw Matt Bolt line a single to left deep enough to plate O'Brien for a 1-0 lead. Billiken left fielder J.D. Dunn and catcher Bill Musselman combined to gun down Weston racing for third on the play, ending the inning.

The Billikens evened things up quickly after Dunn led off with a walk. Ryan Bennett sacrificed him to second, and he scored on Gilbert Marlowe's single to left.

The Redbirds went back to work in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with one out on a walk and a pair of singles. Bird battled Kevin Dubler, forcing him to pop up to Bennett at short for the second out. The Billikens' senior right-hander looked to be out of the jam on a pop foul, but the defense could not make the play, giving Kevin Konsler new life at the plate. The ISU designated hitter took advantage of the opportunity, roping a two-run single to left. O'Brien added an RBI single up the middle, putting ISU on top 4-1 before Bird got out of the inning with a ground ball off the bat of Kyle Cherney.

Again, the Billiken offense answered the challenge. Greg Rodgers led off with a single to left and moved to second on Casey Moore's single to left center. Musselman drove a shot to left field that just clipped the wall for an RBI double. The Redbirds went to the bullpen for Jim Sajewich, but the right-hander saw Blake Bratcher rip a single to left, plating both Moore and Musselman to knot the game at 4-4. Bratcher was thrown out trying to stretch his single into a double, and Sajewich retired Dunn to keep the score tied.

SLU looked for the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh with Bennett leading off with an infield single and moving to third when Tom Pinnell's sacrifice bunt was mishandled. Marlowe drove a ground ball to the left side where ISU third baseman Ryan Anetsberger throw Bennett out at home. Sajewich ended the threat with a pair of fly balls from Rodgers and Moore.

In his third inning of relief, Mark Zielinski worked around a pair of hits in the top of the ninth. Likewise, Sajewich yielded a leadoff single to Dunn and hit Pinnell to put two runners on in the bottom of the frame. The runners advanced a base on Brandon Parson's ground ball, but Sajewich recorded his second strikeout of the afternoon to force extra innings.

ISU threatened first in the top of the 11th, but could not take advantage of a hit and a Billiken error. Watson gunned down the go-ahead run at the plate after O'Brien singled to right field. The freshman then opened the 12th by drawing a walk, which forced the Redbirds back to the bullpen for Mike Hlavacek. Rodgers ripped a single to center to move Watson into scoring position, and Moore pushed him to third on a fly ball to right, setting the stage for Crespi's shot over the head of Anetsberger at third.

The Billikens out-hit the Redbirds 14-13, including a pair of doubles to no extra-base hits for ISU. Rodrigue collected the win to improve to 2-1 on the season, allowing just two hits over three innings of relief. Bird scattered nine hits and yielded four runs, all unearned, in six innings for SLU. Rodgers led the Billikens with three hits, while Bratcher's two RBI was a game high. O'Brien finished the afternoon 4-for-4 with an RBI for ISU.

The two teams complete their three-game series on Sun., March 18, at 1 p.m. at The Billiken Sports Center.