March 20, 2010
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis picked up a pair of victories against the 19th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks Saturday in a baseball doubleheader at The Billiken Sports Center. SLU (11-9) posted a 12-8 victory in game one, and followed with an 8-5 win in the nightcap.
Including its win against No. 16 Ohio State earlier this season, Saint Louis is now 3-1 on the year against ranked foes. The Billikens, who have won three in a row, head to SEMO and No. 20 Ole Miss next week before hosting Xavier next weekend in their Atlantic 10 Conference opener.
Against Kansas, the heart of the order provided much of the pop. Danny Brock, Ben Braaten, SLU's three through five hitters, combined to go 14-for-23 with 16 RBIs in the twinbill. The Billikens received solid starting pitching as well, as Bryant Cotton (4-1) picked up the win in the first game, while Jerry Mancuso (2-1) earned the victory in game two.
In game one, Brock went 3-for-4 with five RBIs and three runs scored, while Myers turned in a 3-for-5, four RBI performance at the plate. Cody Cotter scored four times and posted a pair of hits, while Mancuso had two hits and scored twice. Cotton twirled 8-1/3 innings and struck out five in the win.
Game two saw Braaten collect five RBIs to go along with a 4-for-4 day at the plate. J.D. Dunn and Myers each registered two hits, and Mancuso went 7-2/3 innings to earn the victory. Matt O'Neal earned his first career save after pitching a scoreless ninth.
GAME ONE RECAP
Kansas opened a 5-0 lead through the first three innings before the Billikens got on the board in the fourth. Cotter drew a walk, and eventually ended up on third following a Brock single. After Brock advanced to second on a wild pitch, both he and Cotter came around to score on a Myers single to make it 5-2 Kansas through four.
Saint Louis took the lead with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Steve Fernandez led off with a solo homer to left, and SLU then went to work and scored three more with two outs. Cotter singled, and advanced to second on a fielding error by the KU right fielder. Mancuso then singled home Cotter to make it 5-4 Kansas. Later, with two runners in scoring position, Myers again stroked a two-run single to make it 6-5 Bills through five.
Following a scoreless sixth, Kansas scored twice in the seventh to go on top 7-6, but SLU quickly regained the lead with a three-run bottom of the seventh. With one out, Cotter and Mancuso reached on singles to chase KU starter T.J. Walz from the game. Brock then belted a three-run home run to left to give the Billikens a 9-7 lead. It was his team-leading 10th homer of the year and his third in as many games.
Saint Louis pushed across three more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. SLU loaded the bases after Andrew Guerra singled, Dunn walked and Levine was hit by a pitch. Guerra was erased on a fielder's choice, and Dunn later scored on a wild pitch to make it 10-7 Bills. Brock would later add a two-run single to put the Billikens ahead 12-7 going into the top of the ninth.
Kansas would plate a run off Cotton in the frame before Mancuso came on to retire the last two batters in order and secure the 12-8 victory.
GAME TWO RECAP
Kansas put a run on the board to take a 1-0 lead through two, but SLU plated three runs with two outs in the third to take the lead. Cotter walked, and advanced to second on a Mancuso single. Brock drove in a run with a base knock, and the Billikens later loaded the bases following a Myers walk. Braaten then drove in two with a single up the middle to make it 3-1 Billikens.
That remained the score until the fifth. Kansas tied it up with two runs in the top of the inning, but SLU responded with three in its half of the frame. Mancuso and Brock reached after being hit by pitches, and Myers drove home Mancuso with a double. Braaten would later drive in two with a single back up the middle to make it 6-3 SLU after five.
The Billikens stretched their lead to 8-3 with a run in both the sixth and seventh innings. Dunn homered to lead off the sixth, and Braaten drove in Myers, who doubled, in the seventh.
Meanwhile, Mancuso got out of several jams in the middle innings and benefited from strong Billiken defense. In the seventh, Dunn robbed Kansas' Jimmy Waters of sure extra bases and an RBI with a highlight-reel grab in center field.
KU would score twice in the top of the eighth to make it interesting, but Billiken relievers Marco Mejia and O'Neal would not allow a run over the final 1-1/3 innings to secure the 8-5 victory for the Billikens.
SLU returns to action Tuesday in a 3 p.m. game at Southeast Missouri State. SLU then travels to Ole Miss to face the 20th-ranked Rebels in a 6:30 p.m. game Wednesday in Oxford.
