March 11, 2008
Box Score
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Saint Louis plated four runs in the top of the ninth en route to a 9-5 victory at Southeast Missouri Tuesday evening. Sophomore center fielder J.D. Dunn (Franklin, Tenn./Centennial) drove in the winning run with an RBI single, and sophomore DH Mike Beal (St. Louis, Mo./Glendale CC) drove in a pair of insurance runs with a bases-loaded double. Junior reliever Ziggy Moore (Lake Saint Louis, Mo./Holt) retired nine of the final 10 Redhawk hitters to secure the victory.
With the score knotted 5-5 in the top of the ninth, Saint Louis (3-7) drew three straight walks and did its damage with the bases loaded. Dunn made the Redhawks pay for the free passes when he stroked an RBI single to left field. Senior Greg Rodgers (St. Charles, Mo./St. Charles CC) was then credited with an RBI when he drew a bases-loaded walk. Later, Beal smacked a two-out, two-run double to left for the decisive 9-5 margin.
Meanwhile, Moore retired the Redhaws in order in the seventh and eighth innings. SEMO (4-5) did manage a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth, but Moore struck out Redhawks' Jim Klocke to end the three hour, 38 minute affair at Capaha Field.
Both starting pitchers - Chris Merrick (Forest Hill, Md./Catonsville CC) for SLU and Josh Syberg for SEMO - pitched well early on. The Billikens scored the first run in the top of the fourth of off SEMO reliever Ryan Poole. Junior Tom Pinnell (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) led off with a double, and came around to score on Rodgers' base knock up the middle. Southeast answered with a run in the fifth before the Billikens responded with a pair of runs in the sixth inning on RBI singles by sophomore Zach Outman (St. Louis, Mo./Lindbergh) and Beal.
The Bills were unable to hang on to the lead as they allowed four runs on five hits in the sixth, but some small ball in the seventh tied things up at 5-5. Senior Casey Moore led off with a walk, and advanced to second on a passed ball. Freshman Casey Moore. Later, Andrew Guerra walked and Pinnell reached on a fielder's choice. That duo combined for a double steal, allowing Guerra to swipe home for the tying run.
Ziggy Moore totaled four innings of shutout baseball to pick up his first career victory on the mound. He struck out six and walked none. Merrick was also solid on the hill, going 4.1 innings and allowing one run on four hits.
Offensively, Beal went 3-for-5 with three RBIs in the best game of his young Billiken career. Rodgers was 1-for-2 with three walks. Saint Louis' top five hitters in the order combined for eight of its nine hits and a total of seven RBIs.
Saint Louis faces Fontbonne tomorrow in its home opener. First pitch at The Billiken Sports Center is slated for 2 p.m.
