April 30, 2008
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. - Saint Louis junior infielder Tom Pinnell went 3-for-6 with three RBIs as the Billikens posted a 16-8 triumph against Illinois State today at Duffy Bass Field. SLU, which won its third straight, plated a season high in runs and was one hit shy of tying its season best.
The Billikens improve to 21-23 overall, while Illinois State dips to 19-23. Also, Billikens head coach Darin Hendrickson has accumulated more victories than any other first-year coach in SLU baseball history.
In a sign of things to come, both teams scored a run in the first inning. For Saint Louis, Ryan Bennett drew a one-out walk, then stole second and advanced to third on a groundout. Greg Rodgers then drove him home with a single to the left field to quickly put the Billikens on top 1-0.
But the Redbirds answered the call with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning on a two-out RBI single by Anthony Ruffolo.
After a scoreless second inning, the only frame with all zeros, the Billikens exploded for eight runs in the third. David Blackwell was hit by a pitch, then had to be pinch-ran for by Zach Outman. Bennett drew his second straight walk, and J.D. Dunn walked to load the bases. Rodgers was awarded his second RBI of the game with a walk to plate Outman.
With the bases still loaded, Andrew Guerra walked to plate Bennett. Ryan Johnson then singled to left to drive in the third run of the inning. After Casey Moore was hit by a pitch to plate another run, Outman singled back up the middle to plate two and put the Billikens on top 7-1. Later in the inning, Bennett completed the scoring when he jacked a two-run single to center to put the Billikens up 9-1.
The eight-run third inning was the most productive inning of the season in terms of runs for Saint Louis.
SLU would score runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth inning to help offset a four-run fourth inning by Illinois State. In the top of the fourth, Outman drove in a run on a groundout, while Pinnell drove in a run with a single in the fifth. In the sixth inning, Ramee Yacoub lifted a sacrifice fly to put the Billikens up 12-5 through six innings.
The Redbirds would get as close as 12-8 before Saint Louis put the game away with four runs in the top of the ninth. Dunn started it with a one-out single, then circled the bases on a Mike Beal RBI double. After an ISU pitching change, Pinnell jacked the second pitch he saw over the left-field fence to increase the Billiken lead to 15-8. Brandon Parsons plated the final run of the game with an RBI single.
Reliever Ziggy Moore picked up the victory after stymieing the Redbirds for 2-1/3 innings, allowing no runs on just one hit while striking out two.
Offensively for the Billikens, Pinnell and Guerra each had three hits. One of Guerra's hits was a double, which gives him 17 for the season and leaves him one double shy from tying the SLU single-season record. Bennett scored twice and had two RBIs, while Rodgers drove in a pair of runs.
The Billikens resume Atlantic 10 Conference play this weekend when they travel to Richmond. The first game of a three-game set against the Spiders is set for 2 p.m. (CT) Friday.
