Box Score OXFORD, MISS. – Saint Louis dropped a heartbreaker in extra innings to no.18 Ole Miss. Saint Louis is now 30-14 overall. It is the first time this season SLU has been defeated after leading through the seventh inning.
The Billikens got off to a hot start in the first. Mike Vigliarolo ripped a double to right center to score Michael Bozarth from third for the Bills' first run. In the next at bat, Grant Nelson hit a moonshot into the right field bleachers to score three more runs and give SLU an early 4-0 lead.
The Rebels answered in the third with two runs of their own to cut the Billiken lead to two.
In the sixth, Ole Miss sent one across the plate to bring the tally to 4-3 in favor of Saint Louis.
The Billikens extended their lead in the eighth. Danny Brennan and Mike Levine each hit RBI singles in the frame to provide a three-run cushion for the SLU pitching staff. In the bottom of the inning, Ole Miss made a run, scoring two. The third run of the inning almost scored when no one was covering third on Bozarth's throw from left field. However, a heads up play from Marco Mejia snagged the ball at the backstop, nailing the Rebel runner trying to score.
In the top of the ninth, Nelson drew a bases loaded walk for his fourth RBI of the game. With three outs to play, SLU led 7-5.
Mejia returned in the bottom of the ninth, seeking his sixth save. However, the Rebels stayed patient at the plate, loading the bases for Ole Miss cleanup hitter Stuart Turner. Freshman Josh Moore entered with one out and the bases loaded to face Turner. Turner won the battle, and tied the ballgame. In the next at bat, the Rebels hit a ball to left, but Bozarth came up firing, and nailed the potential game-winner at the plate. Moore reached back and struck out the next batter to send the game to extras.
In the 11th, a walk off single from Ole Miss ultimately spelled a 7-8 defeat for SLU.
The Billikens will return to action this weekend in a three game series at VCU. Game one is slated for 9:30 a.m. on May 4.
