March 1, 2008
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Saint Louis and Samford split a doubleheader today at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The Billikens used a late rally to claim a 5-4 victory in the first game, but the Bulldogs took the seven-inning nightcap by an 8-5 margin. David Blackwell (Shaker Heights, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit) went 4-for-5 with a run scored in the two games, while Tom Pinnell (Edwardsville, Ill. / Edwardsville) and J.D. Dunn (Franklin, Tenn. / Centennial) had three RBIs apiece.
In the first game, the Billikens (2-4) opened the scoring in the top of the second. Andrew Guerra (Dallas, Texas / Rice) reached on a bunt single, then stole second. Blackwell smacked a single to right, advancing Guerra to third. Guerra would eventually score on Ziggy Moore's (Lake St. Louis, Mo. / Lake St. Louis) RBI groundout.
Meanwhile, SLU starter Scott Turmail (Florissant, Mo. / Hazelwood Central), the reigning A-10 Pitcher of the Week, cruised through the first two innings until running into problems in the third. Samford managed three runs on three hits in the inning, which included a two-run single by Michael Rutledge, to claim a 3-1 lead.
The Bulldogs tacked on another run in the fourth before SLU rallied for four runs in the top of the eighth. Senior Greg Rodgers (St. Charles, Mo. / Francis Howell) led off the inning with a walk, and Dunn and Guerra smacked back-to-back home runs to tie the score at 4-4. Dunn's shot, a two-run bomb that cleared the left-field fence, was the first of his collegiate career. Guerra's solo job, also the first of his career, was hit to deep left.
Some good fortune came the Billikens' way later in the inning. With still one down, Blackwell popped a ball into foul territory outside of third base that was booted by a Samford infielder. Blackwell made Samford pay for the miscue by ripping a double down the right-field line later in his at-bat. He advanced to third on a wild pitch, and later scored the winning run on another wild pitch.
SLU reliever Brad Perkins (Collinsville, Ill. / SWIC), pitching the final two inning with a 5-4 lead, did not allow a hit for his first save of the year. The Bulldogs managed to get a runner in scoring position in the ninth, but Brandon Parsons (Stow, Ohio / Stow Munroe Falls) made a heads-up play and doubled off the runner after snagging a line drive to end the game.
Game two did not start out as fortunate for the Billikens, as Samford reeled off four runs on three hits off SLU starter Zach Outman (St. Louis, Mo. / Lindbergh) in the opening frame. However, the Billikens would try to slowly crawl back. In the top of the second, B.J. Rodrigue (Destrehan, La. / Brother Martin) reached on a two-out double, and Mike Beal (St. Louis, Mo. / Glendale CC) walked. Casey Moore (Lake St. Louis, Mo. / Wentzville Holt) then put a ball in play that was thrown wildly by the Samford third baseman, ultimately allowing Rodrigue to score to cut the deficit to 4-1.
That remained the score until the fourth, when SLU's Beal and Casey Moore led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Beal would eventually score when Pinnell lifted a sac fly to center, making it 6-2 Bulldogs.
The resilient SLU offense kept it close by scoring three unanswered runs to pull within one at 6-5. In the fifth, Parsons ripped a triple to right to lead off the inning, and scored on Dunn's sacrifice fly. In the sixth, Pinnell smacked a two-run homer to center to score Casey Moore, who earlier reached on a single, to trim Samford's lead to just one.
However, the Bulldogs put down a two-spot of their own in the bottom of the sixth thanks to Marcus Rodriguez' two-run double that was caused by an error and two walks.
Merrick was effective out of the bullpen, tossing a scoreless two innings. Chaz Salembier struck out three in 2.2 innings of work, while Rodrigue allowed a pair of runs on one hit in an inning of work.
Saint Louis is scheduled to open its home schedule on Tuesday against Southeast Missouri State. First pitch at The Billiken Sports Center is slated for 3 p.m.
