April 25, 2007

Box Score

Sauget, Ill. - Saint Louis and Southern Illinois played a scoreless pitchers' duel for six innings before the Salukis took advantage of Billiken miscues to cruise to a 7-0 victory in the Hoosier Bat Wood Bat Classic at GCS Ballpark. A pair of Billiken errors and two walks helped SIU plate three runs in the pivotal seventh inning. The Billikens struggled with timely hitting, leaving 10 men on base in the game. Blake Bratcher was the lone steady performer with the wood bats, going 2-for-3 with a double.

Both teams had a chance in the first inning as a trio of two-out singles loaded the bases for the Salukis in the top of the frame. Dan Cowsert got Dean Cademartori to pop up to Tom Pinnell at second to end the threat. The Billikens had runners on the corners in the bottom of the frame thanks to a pair of walks, a sacrifice and a fly ball to left center. SIU starter Tyler Choate settled down to get a ground ball to close out the inning.

The Billikens mounted a two-out rally in the bottom of the third as Pinnell and Blake Bratcher led off the inning with a double to the warning track in right center. Aggressive base running moved him to third on B.J. Rodrigue's ground out to the left side, but a pair of fly balls kept the Bills off the board.

SLU reliever Eric Brewer worked around a hit and a walk in the top of the fifth, getting Aaron Roberts to ground out to end the inning. After retiring the Salukis in order in the sixth, the Billiken left-hander got unlucky to open the seventh. Dean Cademartori laid a bunt down the third base line that would not roll foul under Moore's watchful eye. Cademartori moved to third when Chris Crank's sacrifice bunt was mishandled by Brewer. SLU went to the bullpen for sophomore Chris Paulson, who saw Tyler Lairson lift a fly ball to left center to plate Cademartori with the game's first run. A walk to Lou Johanns and an infield single from Kevin Koski loaded the bases with just one out. Roberts picked up the RBI with a ground ball to third where a fielding error kept the bases loaded. SLU went back to the bullpen quickly for Mark Zielinski, but the left-hander struggled early with his control and walked Hill for a 3-0 deficit. Ahead in the count, Kelly ripped a line drive to the right side, and Rodrigue leapt to make the grab and doubled off Hill to end the inning.

The Salukis went right back to work in the top of the eighth. A throwing error led off the inning, and a single from Cademartori had runners on the corners with no outs. Eric Mueller replaced Zielinski on the mound and retired Crank on called strike three, but a double by Lairson made it a 4-0 deficit. A hit batter, a ground out and a two-base error plated three more runs before Mueller was able to close out the inning.

Brad Lawrence collected the win for SIU with two innings of one-hit relief, improving to 3-0 on the year. Brewer took the loss to fall to 0-5 as he struck out three but saw two unearned runs score in his three innings.

Saint Louis closes its seven-game road swing with a three-game Atlantic 10 series at Temple beginning Fri., April 27, at 2:30 p.m. (CT).