March 27, 2010
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis and Xavier split an Atlantic 10 Conference baseball doubleheader Saturday at The Billiken Sports Center. The split, coupled with SLU's win last night in the series opener, gives the Bills the series win on A-10 opening weekend.
Saint Louis (13-12, 2-1 A-10) was edged 4-3 in game one Saturday, but bounced back to post an 8-0 victory over Xavier (5-18, 1-2 A-10) in game two.
In game two, SLU pitchers Mike McKean and Mike Levine posted career highs with three hits apiece, while Jon Myers had a pair of hits and knocked in two runs. Every Billiken the batting order had at least one hit as SLU pounded out 16 total in the game.
The Billikens host Eastern Illinois at 3 p.m. Tuesday at The BSC before resuming conference play Thursday in a doubleheader at Saint Joseph's in Philadelphia. The Billikens and Hawks also play a single game Friday.
GAME TWO RECAP
In game two, Saint Louis did all its scoring in the fourth. McKean started the rally with a single, and advanced to third on a Lucas Calderon double. Levine then singled to drive in McKean and make it 1-0 Billikens. Later, J.D. Dunn doubled down the right-field line to plate Calderon. After a Danny Brock walk, Levine scored on a wild pitch to put the Billikens on top 3-0.
Still with just one out, Myers grounded out to the Xavier second baseman to plate Dunn and make it 4-0. Ben Braaten completed the scoring when he drove in Brock to make it 5-0. The Billikens batted around in the inning, totaling five runs on five hits.
SLU tacked on three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Levine opened the frame with a base knock to left, and advanced to second on a Cody Cotter infield single. Dunn sacrificed both runners into scoring position with a perfectly placed bunt down the third-base line, which allowed Levine to ultimately score on a throwing error by the pitcher. Later, Brock doubled in Cotter and Myers knocked in Brock with an RBI single to make it 8-0 Billikens.
Meanwhile, Alemann worked around several jams to keep Xavier off the scoreboard. The Musketeers stranded two runners in the first, two in the second and one in the third. Alemann retired the side in the fourth and worked around a two-out single in the fifth. He allowed a lead-off single in the sixth, but retired the next three in order to keep it an 8-0 ballgame. In the seventh, Alemann got a double play ball and got a groundout to the final batter he would face to end the frame.
Bell came on to pitch a scoreless eighth, and Wiltz worked around a single and a walk to secure the shutout for the Billikens. Alemann (3-3) picked up the win after allowing just six hits. He struck out one and walked one.
McKean ended up 3-for-4 with a walk and runs scored, while Levine was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Braaten, Myers and Dunn all had two hits for the Bills, while Brock recorded a double and scored twice.
GAME ONE RECAP
The Billiken offense came out hot in the first game, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. Cotter opened the frame with a single to right, and quickly stole second. Dunn reached a bunt single, and also quickly stole second base. Brock lined a sacrifice fly to center to make it a 1-0 ballgame. Myers then poked an RBI single back up the middle to plate Dunn and make it 2-0. Zach Miller plated Myers with an RBI single to complete the three-run inning for the Billikens.
However, those would be all the runs SLU would score in the game, as Xavier starter Tommy Shirley and reliever Josh Deeg would limit the Billikens to just two more hits the rest of the way.
Xavier scored once in the fourth and again in the fifth off SLU starter Jerry Mancuso to pull within one at 3-2. The Musketeers scored the eventual winning runs in the top of the eighth. John McCambridge tied it with an RBI double, and Xavier scored the winning run on a SLU error for the final 4-3 decision.
Myers led SLU with two hits and an RBI. Mancuso was charged with the loss after twirling 7-2/3 innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on 10 hits. He struck out three and walked four. SLU reliever Marco Mejia did not allow a run in 1-1/3 innings of work.
