 Billikens Fall 9-4 at Sam Houston State
March 7, 2008
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Saint Louis dropped a 9-4 decision at Sam Houston State Friday night in its first game of the Hillcrest Ford Bearkat Classic at Don Sanders Stadium. The Billikens (2-5) jumped all over SHSU starter Jacob Howard early, but were limited to just two hits over the final 6.2 innings as the Bearkats (7-3) picked up their fourth straight victory. Senior catcher Casey Moore (Lake St. Louis, Mo. / Wentzville Holt) and sophomore left fielder David Blackwell (Shaker Heights, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit) provided the offense early on for Saint Louis. Sophomore right-hander Zach Outman (St. Louis, Mo. / Forest Park CC) got the start for SLU and went six innings, allowing five runs on eight hits. The Billikens jumped on top with a run in the first. Sophomore center fielder J.D. Dunn (Franklin, Tenn. / Centennial) led off the game with a walk, then stole second. Dunn would later steal his team-leading fifth base of the season to advance to third. After walks to senior first baseman Greg Rodgers (St. Charles, Mo. / St. Charles CC) and junior third baseman Tom Pinnell loaded the bases with just one out, Blackwell grounded out to plate Dunn. Despite coming into the game with a team-best .444 batting average, it was Blackwell's first RBI of the season. Sam Houston State and its potent offense - to a tune of an average of nearly 10 runs per game - plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. The back-and-forth battle continued in the top of the second, when SLU's Moore pushed across two runs. Sophomore designated hitter Mike Beal (St. Louis, Mo. / Glendale CC) singled to left to lead off the inning, and sophomore second baseman Andrew Guerra (Dallas, Texas / Rice) doubled to straight-away center to put two men on with no outs. Moore then corked a two-run single to right field to put the Billikens back on top at 3-2. Moore would later score on an error to make it 4-2 Billikens.
The Billikens had the bases loaded in the third but could do no damage, and Sam Houston State was able to tie things up at 4-4 in the bottom half of the inning on a Keith Stein RBI single and Bobby Verbick solo home run. That remained the score until the bottom of the seventh, when Stein lifted a sacrifice fly with none out and the bases loaded. SLU junior right-hander Brad Perkins (Collinsville, Ill. / SWIC), who had to deal with the three inherited runners, got out of the inning before any further damage after getting SHUS leading hitter Verbick to ground into a double play. Meanwhile, the SLU offense struggled against Bearkat relievers Ryan Tepera and Guillaume Duguay. After scoring four runs on five hits the first two innings, the Billikens managed only a sixth-inning single by Guerra and a ninth-inning double by Rodgers the rest of the way. Sam Houston State posted a four-spot in the eighth, thanks in part to a two-run single by Mark Wyatt, to put the game out of reach. Outman settled down after the first three innings and pitched effectively overall, allowing eight hits while striking out two. Guerra led the team with two hits and also scored a run. SLU continues play at the Hillcrest Ford Bearkat Classic tomorrow against Texas-Pan American. First pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m. at Don Sanders Stadium. |
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