March 2, 2007

Box Score

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Second baseman Tom Pinnell (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) came through with the game-tying RBI in the ninth and the game-winning RBI in the 11th to stake Saint Louis (1-6) to a 5-2 win over New Mexico (6-9) at Olsen Field on day one of the Domino's Pizza Aggie Baseball Classic. B.J. Rodrigue (Destrehan, La./Brother Martin) picked up the Billikens' first win of the season as no Lobo reached base during his two innings on the mound.

SLU starter Dave Sever (Burr Ridge, Ill./Benet Academy) struggled in the early going as he walked three straight batters with one out in the bottom of the first. After settling down and retiring the side on strikeouts, he gave up a leadoff home run to designated hitter Dane Hamilton in the second as the Lobos took the early lead.

Saint Louis got on the board in the fifth when Gilbert Marlowe (Glendale, Mo./Southwestern Illinois) singled to the Lobo shortstop and advanced to second on an error. Marlowe tied the game at 1-1 when he scored on Ziggy Moore's (Lake St. Louis, Mo./Wentzville Holt) second hit of the game, a one-out single to centerfield.

Out were hard to come by for SLU reliever Mark Zielinski (Maryland Heights, Mo./DeSmet) in his second inning of work. After getting the first batter to fly out he walked three straight Lobos to load the bases in the seventh. Eric Mueller (Columbia, Mo./Hickman) spelled Zielinski after he walked four, struck out two and allowed one hit in 1-1/3 innings. Mueller was successful in getting out of the inning with no damage as the Bills turned a double play to keep the score tied at 1-1.

Adam Courcha helped New Mexico take the lead in the bottom of the eighth after reaching on a leadoff single and moving to second on an error. A sacrifice bunt followed by a sacrifice fly pushed Courcha across for the 2-1 lead. But it was short-lived as the Billikens mounted a comeback in the top of the ninth. With two outs, Marlowe drew a walk and moved to second on Ziggy Moore's third hit of the game. Pinnell then drove a two-out RBI single into left field to keep the game going.

Like the two pitchers before him, Mueller ran into trouble in the bottom of the ninth. After surrendering a leadoff single, he issued two one-out walks to load the bases. But a pop out and fielder's choice helped Saint Louis force a 10th frame. However, the Billikens were unable to capitalize despite getting the go-ahead run to third with one out in the 10th.

Rodrigue (1-0) started on the mound in the 10th and retired the side with a pair of groundouts and a strikeout. With one out and runners on first and second in the top of the 11th, Pinnell singled to left field to plate the go-ahead run and J.D. Dunn (Franklin, Tenn./Centennial) followed with an RBI single of his own to put the Bills up by two. A New Mexico error allowed SLU to tack on another run for the final margin.

Sever scattered three hits in five innings while striking out six and walking seven and Mueller surrendered two hits and two walks in 2-2/3 innings. Bobby LaFromboise struck out nine Billikens in seven innings of work while walking one and surrendering six hits. Brandon Hewett (0-1)shouldered the loss for UNM. In two innings, he scattered four hits and surrendered three runs, two of them earned.

Pinnell and Ziggy Moore's were both 3-for-4 while Pinnell drove in two of the Bills' five runs. Casey Moore also contributed two hits. Each of New Mexico's six hits came from a different player, as did its RBI.

Tomorrow the Billikens face tournament host #19 Texas A&M at 7 p.m.