March 31, 2007

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis suffered its second-straight shutout as Xavier chipped away for a 3-0 victory in Atlantic 10 baseball action this afternoon at The Billiken Sports Center. Each team recorded six hits, but the Musketeers (9-18, 5-0 A-10) were aided by three Billiken errors while playing solid defense of their own to spoil the six-strikeout effort of senior right-hander Ryan Bird. Sophomore Ryan Johnson posted two of the Billikens' six hits for his first multiple-hit game at SLU.

Bird was in control early as XU leadoff hitter Adam Pasono struck out on three pitches. In the bottom of the inning, Ryan Bennett led off with a bunt single and was sacrificed to second. XU starter Charlie Leesman got out of the inning when Tom Pinnell lined into a double play.

The Musketeers ended the scoreless tie in the fourth when Sean Farrell led off with a double to left and a ground out moved him to third with just one out. An error plated Farrell from third before Bird closed the inning with a strikeout and a ground out. The lead grew to 2-0 in the fifth as Steve Brown reached on catcher's interference and got to third on Jordan Wolf's single through the right side. With one out in the inning, Bird got Farrell to ground one to third where the Bills looked to turn the double play, but Farrell beat the relay and earned the RBI.

SLU looked poised for its first run of the series in the bottom of the sixth as Ryan Crespi drew a one-out walk and Pinnell followed with a double tucked just inside the left field line. Leesman again left the runners stranded in scoring position as he recorded a strikeout and a ground out to preserve his shutout.

In the top of the eighth, the Musketeers plated their first earned run of the game as Farrell drove a triple to the wall in right center and scored on Zac Richard's single through the right side.

Leesman improved to 1-2 on the season as he struck out four and scattered six hits over nine innings, including just one extra-base hit. Bird fell to 0-2 with the loss despite striking out six and allowing just one earned run in eight innings. Farrell joined Johnson with two hits for game-high honors.

The two teams complete their three-game series on Sun., Apr. 1, at noon at The Billiken Sports Center.