March 21, 2007

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - After winning a pitchers' duel on Tuesday, Saint Louis dropped a battle of the bats to Evansville 20-10 this afternoon at The Billiken Sports Center. The teams combined for seven errors and 10 unearned runs on a blustery day at the ballpark. The Billikens (4-17) got the offense going first with four runs in the bottom of the second, but the Purple Aces (15-7) answered by pushing eight across the plate in the top of the third. Junior Greg Rodgers led the Billikens with three hits and two RBI on the afternoon.

UE's Jim Viscomi opened the game with a double to right field and scored on Kasey Wahl's single to left two batters later. SLU starter Dan Cowsert was helped out of the inning by left fielder J.D. Dunn, who made a series of dramatic catches throughout the game.

The Billikens broke through in the second when Bill Musselman reached on an error. He moved to third on Ryan Crespi's sacrifice bunt and scored on a single up the middle from B.J. Rodrigue. Dunn bunted his way on, and Ziggy Moore advanced everyone a base with a single to left. The Aces misplayed the relay in from left, allowing Rodrigue to score and give the Bills a 2-1 lead. Tom Pinnell ripped a single to right to give the Bills a 3-1 lead, and Gilbert Marlowe's sacrifice fly made it a 4-1 margin before UE starter Jeremy Kuester closed the inning with an infield pop-up.

Evansville wasted little time answering the Billikens' offensive outburst, beginning with leadoff hitter Viscomi reaching on an error. Troy Krider singled to right center and took second on the throw to third. Wahl added the second of his five RBI on the afternoon with a ground out. A Pat Tumilty single closed the Billiken lead to 4-3, and Robbie Minor knotted things up with an RBI single through the right side. Kirck Bacsu kept things going with an RBI single down the left field line, and Andy Smith drove in two more with a two-out single to right center. SLU went to the bullpen for sophomore Mark Zielinski, but the left-hander got off to a difficult start when Vicsomi doubled down the left field line. Zielinski hit Krider with a pitch to load the bases then walked Wahl to plate the seventh run of the inning. Tumilty closed the scoring with an RBI single that was just out of Pinnell's reach at second.

The Billikens were undaunted by the Aces' comeback and proceeded to tally four more runs in the bottom of the third to pull within one. Rodgers roped a double down the left field line and scored on Musselman's double to left. Crespi picked up an RBI with a single up the middle, and Moore plated two runs with a single to right. The strike sent the Aces to the bullpen for Mark Murray, who needed just one pitch to close the inning.

A pair of walks and a single loaded the bases early in the top of the fourth, bringing Eric Mueller in for Zielinski. Smith, Krider and Tumilty recorded RBI singles, while Wahl drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Kern Watts put the Aces on top 15-8 with a two-run double down the right field line.

After UE added another unearned run on SLU reliever Eric Brewer in the top of the sixth, the Billikens cut their deficit to 15-10 in the bottom of the frame against UE left-hander Sean McCarthy. Pinnell led off with a single, Marlowe drew a walk, and both advanced a base on a ground out. Rodgers plated both with a single to left.

The Aces responded with two runs in the top of the seventh, including a towering home run to left from Wahl, and two more in the eighth.

Cowsert took the loss for the Billikens with just two of his eight runs allowed being earned. Murray picked up the win as he allowed just two hits in 2-1/3 innings of relief. Wahl's five RBI were a game high, as were Tumilty's four hits.

The Billikens open Atlantic 10 Conference play on Fri., March 23, with a 7 p.m. game at The Billiken Sports Center against preseason favorite Charlotte.