March 4, 2007

Box Score

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Saint Louis mustered just five hits against Oregon State tandem Daniel Turpen and Mark Grbavac and the Beavers got a pair of RBI doubles from Lissman to claim a 2-0 win over the Billikens on Sunday afternoon at Olsen Field on day three of the Domino's Pizza Aggie Baseball Classic.

Starting pitching retired each side in order before SLU's Gilbert Marlowe (Glendale, Mo./Southwestern Illinois) recorded the first hit of the game in the top of the second. Marlowe was caught stealing to end any scoring threat for the Billikens, but the Beavers didn't fare much better in their half of the inning. Jordan Lennerton reached on a two-out single and was forced out at second on a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Saint Louis put together its biggest rally in the third as Tom Pinnell (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) and L.J. Watson (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) strung together back-to-back one-out singles. Both players got into scoring position on a groundout but that was where they remained as Turpen induced a groundout to get out of the jam.

In the fourth Bill Musselman (Homer Glen, Ill./Providence Catholic) made his way to third base on a one-out single, a wild pitch and a groundout but that was as much of a threat as the Bills put together the rest of the way. The Beaver pitching staff allowed just one runner to reach base after the fourth inning, a two-out Casey Moore (Lake St. Louis, Mo./Wentzville Holt) single in the sixth.

A couple pitching mistakes by Billiken starter Ryan Bird (Potomac, Ill./Armstrong Township) allowed Oregon State to inch ahead in the fourth. Bird surrendered a leadoff walk but the SLU defense helped him out by turning a double play. However, Bird hit the next Beaver to step to the plate. That player, Mitch Canham, then came around to score the eventual game-winner on Mike Lissman's double to left center to break up the shutout.

Oregon State's Drew George hit a double to right field to get something started for the Beavers in the sixth. He moved to third on a flyout to the outfield and eventually scored on a two-out double by Lissman, his second two-bagger of the game.

In seven innings, Bird (0-1) scattered eight hits, walked one and fanned one. Turpen struck out six and allowed just five hits in 8-1/3 innings. Each of SLU's five hits came from a different player, while Lissman and Jason Ogata led the Beavers with two hits apiece.

Tomorrow the Billikens face New Mexico at 10:30 a.m. in a rematch of Friday's game. SLU's only victory this season came was a 5-2 decision against the Lobos.