April 29, 2007

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - After taking part in a pair of offensive showcases to begin the Atlantic 10 series, Saint Louis suffered a power outage in a 7-0 defeat at Temple this afternoon at Skip Wilson Field. The Billikens posted eight hits to the Owls' nine but managed just two extra-base hits and committed five errors to help the Temple cause. Senior Ryan Crespi continued his hot hitting in Philadelphia with a two-hit day that included a double.

The Billikens appeared to pick up right where they had left off Saturday, with two hits and a walk in the top of the first. Pinnell was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple, and Temple starter Matt Mongiardini left two runners stranded with a pop-up to end the inning. After the missed opportunity for SLU, Temple struck first in the bottom of the second. Mike Kelch led off the inning with a double to right center, moving to third on Matt Heltz's one-out single to right. Kyle Obal slapped a ground ball to the right side, which allowed Kelch to score the game's first run and induced a pair of errors that left Heltz on third and Obal safe at first. Carmen Del Mastro laid a bunt down the first base line, which B.J. Rodrigue collected to gun down Heltz at the plate. Sever closed the inning with the first of his five strikeouts. A hit and an error helped the Owls plate a second run in the bottom of the third.

Sever held the Owls in check, not allowing a hit over the next three innings. Unfortunately, the Billiken offense was similarly stymied. Crespi drove his double in the top of the fifth but was left stranded at third. Greg Rodgers added a leadoff single in the top of the sixth but advanced no further as Mongiardini retired the next three Billikens on fly balls. SLU had three runners on in the top of the seventh as Ziggy Moore and Crespi added singles while Tom Pinnell drew a two-out walk. Mongiardini preserved his shutout with a fly ball from Casey Moore.

The Owls broke the game open in the bottom of the seventh, again capitalizing on a Billiken error with two outs in the inning. After Ryan Weber reached on the error, Tom Dolan slipped a single through the left side. Dan Brady stroked a double down the left field line to put the Owls in front 4-0. Kelch made it a 5-0 margin with his double down the right field line before Sever got out of the inning. Senior Dan Cowsert took over in the bottom of the eighth and quickly recorded the first two outs but saw Del Mastro rip a single up the middle and Stan Orzechowski blast a two-run home run to right center.

In the top of the ninth, the Billikens looked to mount a rally similar to the ones Temple had pulled off in the first two games of the series. Rodrigue led off with a single to left, and pinch hitter Ziggy Moore and got Crespi to fly out to left center, he hit Pinnell with a pitch to load the bases. He sealed the shutout with his fifth strikeout of the game.

While Mongiardini improved to 3-5 on the season with the complete-game shutout, Sever fell to 4-5 with the loss, despite allowing just one earned run and striking out five. Pinnell and Rodgers joined Crespi with two hits in the contest.

Saint Louis return to the friendly confines of The Billiken Sports Center on Tue., May 1, at 3 p.m. against rival Missouri State.