Feb. 20, 2010
Saint Peter's College Box Score | Arkansas-Little Rock Box Score
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Saint Louis split a doubleheader Saturday at Gary Hogan Field in Little Rock, Ark. The Billikens (2-1) began the day with a 12-11 extra-inning victory against Saint Peter's College, but dropped the nightcap against Arkansas-Little Rock 8-2.
SLU wraps up opening weekend Sunday when it faces Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 10 a.m. at Gary Hogan Field. Friday, SLU ousted the UAPB 6-2.
In game one against Saint Peter's College, the Billikens had leads of 7-0 and 11-3 but it took extra innings to come away with the 12-11 victory. Danny Brock drove in the game winner with a sacrifice fly in the top of the 12th. Freshman Tommy Coovert earned the win on the hill after pitching the final four innings, allowing just one run on one hit while striking out two.
The Billikens scored often at the start of the game. In the first, Brock drove home J.D. Dunn with a double to left to put the Bills up 1-0. Jon Myers then made it 3-0 when he stroked a two-run single to left.
The offensive barrage continued in the second when the Billikens plated four more. Ben Braaten registered an RBI on a fielder's choice, and SLU pushed across another run on a throwing error by the Peacocks' shortstop. Then, Myers drove home Braaten and Zach Miller with a two-run single to give the Billikens a 7-0 advantage after two innings.
Saint Peter's (0-1) plated two in the bottom of the third off SLU starter Andrew Buckham, but the Billikens responded with three runs in the top of the fourth to make it a 10-2 ballgame. Andrew Guerra single.
Following a scoreless fifth, SLU tacked on another run in the top of the sixth. Miller doubled to center to start the inning, and then advanced to third on a Brock ground out. Miller came around to score on a Myers infield base hit to stretch the Billiken advantage to 11-3.
But the bottom of the sixth saw Saint Peter's plate six runs, punctuated by a three-run homer to center by Conor Mullee, to trim the Billiken lead to 11-9.
SLU reliever Jason Bell entered the game after Mullee's homer and got out of the sixth with no further damage. He then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings, but Saint Peter's chased Bell from the game in the bottom of the ninth after their first batter reached on an error. Coovert entered the game, and the Peacocks would proceed to load the bases with a walk and single, and SPC's Michael LaCava tied it up with a single through the right side.
In extra innings, SLU finally pushed a run across in the 12th. Mancuso began the frame with a single to right, and Braaten followed with a walk. A Miller single loaded the bases, and Brock responded by lifting a sacrifice fly to right the plate the winning run. Coovert secured the win in the bottom-half of the 12th by shutting down the Peacocks in order, delivering the 12-11 victory.
Myers ended up going 3-for-7 with five RBIs in the game, while Miller went 3-for-3 with four runs scored and four walks. Brock posted three RBIs, and Mancuso had three hits and scored twice.
In game two against Arkansas-Little Rock (2-0), the Trojons opened up an 8-0 lead through four innings against SLU starter Alex Alemann, who was making his first career start.
The Billikens pushed across a run in the fifth when Steve Fernandez blasted his first-career home run, a solo shot to left. In the sixth, the Billikens put two runners on after Braaten doubled and Miller singled. Myers then lifted a sacrifice fly to plate Braaten to make it 8-2, but that is as close as the Bills would get.
Meanwhile, left-hander Jim Foster turned in a solid final four innings of relief, not allowing a run while yielding just two hits.
Miller had two hits against Arkansas-Little Rock, while Fernandez added a double for a two-hit game.
BILLIKEN EXTRAS: Danny Brock leads the team with three sacrifice flies. Ben Braaten led the team with four sac flies in all of last season.
