March 12, 2010
Box Score
MURRAY, Ky. - Saint Louis yielded eight runs over the final two innings and fell to Murray State 12-7 Friday afternoon in the first game of a three-game non-conference baseball series at Reagan Field.
Saint Louis moves to 7-7 on the season, while Murray State improves to 5-7. The two teams square off again tomorrow in a 1 p.m. first pitch.
Danny Brock smashed a ninth-inning, three-run homer to increase his team-RBI lead to 21. Redshirt freshman Alex Alemann took the loss after allowing six runs on 12 hits in 6.1 innings. He struck out two and walked none.
Colton Moore had a monster day at the plate for Murray, hitting for the cycle and adding six RBIs. Wes Cunningham and Zach Noonan each posted three hits for the Thoroughbreds, who snapped a seven-game losing skid. Chris Craycraft got the win after tossing seven innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits.
The Billikens got on the board first in the top of the second, taking advantage of a Murray State defensive miscue. With two out, David Blackwell reached after being hit by a pitch. Cody Cotter then singled, and both advanced on a wild pitch to put runners on second and third for Mike Levine. Levine registered an RBI single to drive in Blackwell, and an errant throw by the Thoroughbred's shortstop allowed Cotter to score as well to put the Billikens ahead 2-0.
Murray State began the third with three consecutive singles to plate its first run of the contest. Alemann then got two quick outs, but Moore stroked a two-run double down the right-field line to give the `Breds a 3-2 lead.
In the top of the fourth, SLU tied it up after loading the bases on singles by Blackwell and Cotter and a walk to Levine. Then, with two outs, Mancuso singled to the shortstop to plate Blackwell and make it 3-3 ballgame.
That remained the score until the bottom of the sixth, when Murray went up 4-3 following a triple by Moore and an RBI single by Daniel Hill.
The Billikens got that run back in the seventh to make it 4-4. Mancuso and Brock were hit by pitches, and Mancuso came around to score on a Ben Braaten base knock to even the score.
But Murray State would break the game open over the next two innings, scoring eight times and opening up a 12-4 advantage as the Billikens headed into the top of the ninth.
SLU had its first two batters in the ninth, pinch hitters Mike McKean and Lucas Calderon, reach on a double and catcher's interference, respectively. Both came around to score on Brock's three-run shot, which trimmed SLU's deficit to 12-7. But that is as close as the Bills would get as they saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.
Bryant Cotton is slated to get the start tomorrow on the mound for the Bills.
