April 27, 2008

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - Backed by a solid outing by SLU starter Dave Sever and an offensive performance that generated 17 hits, Saint Louis ousted George Washington 11-4 in the finale of a three-game Atlantic 10 baseball series on Sunday at The Billiken Sports Center.

The win moves Saint Louis to 19-23 overall and 6-12 in the A-10. George Washington falls to 20-23 and 8-10 in the league.

Sever went eight innings for the Billikens and allowed four runs (three earned) while scattering six hits. He struck out nine and walked three for his third win of the season.

Saint Louis gave Sever plenty of run support as it batted around in the bottom of the first to post a 5-0 lead through one. Ramee Yacoub led off with a single to the right-center field gap, Ryan Bennett was hit by a pitch and J.D. Dunn reached on an infield single to load the bases. Tom Pinnell then drove a Ryan LaPointe pitch through the left side to put SLU up 2-0.

After Greg Rodgers drove in another run on a groundout, Casey Moore doubled to right field to plate two more runs and complete the five run, five hit inning for Saint Louis.

In the second, Bennett singled then advanced to third after a throwing error attempting to catch him stealing. Pinnell then lined a drive to the warning track in the left-center field gap for an RBI double which put the Billikens on top, 6-0, through two innings.

Meanwhile, Sever held GW off the scoreboard until Gavin Swanson led off the fifth inning with a solo home run to center. Andrew Haberern then reached on an error and later scored on a Tim Reeves groundout to make the score 6-2.

The Billikens came right back in their half of the fifth and gave themselves some extra cushion. Greg Rodgers led off with a double, then came around to score when Zach Outman lifted a double to deep center field to put SLU up 7-2.

Sever would strike out five of the next six hitters he faced before getting into trouble in the top of the eighth. With one out, Andrew Abokhair singled. Charlie Kruer then homered to center to cut the SLU lead to 7-4. However, Sever retired the next two GW hitters via the strikeout to end the inning.

The Billikens put the game out of reach with a four run, five hit eighth inning. Ziggy Moore got it started with a bunt single, and Yacoub singled to put two runners on. Bennett cleared the bases when he lifted a Brian Frazier pitch over the left-field fence to increase SLU's lead to 10-4. Pinnell singled, then eventually came around to score on an Outman single to give SLU the decisive 11-4 margin.

Ziggy Moore relieved Sever for the ninth inning and held the Colonials scoreless.

Every Billiken recorded a hit as SLU tied a season-high with 17 hits on the afternoon. Dunn, Pinnell and Outman all had three hits. Bennett and Pinnell each drove in three, while Outman and Casey Moore drove in two runs apiece.

The Billikens return to action on Tuesday when they host Harris-Stowe at The Billiken Sports Center. Game time is slated for 5 p.m.