April 14, 2003

Final Stats

St. Louis - Saint Louis University senior Corey Lawson sprinted home on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the seventh inning to push the Billikens to a 6-5 win over Southwest Missouri State on Monday at The Billiken Sports Center. The Bears rallied to overcome a 5-1 deficit in the top of the seventh to tie the game, but the Billikens responded in winning fashion.

Lawson worked a walk from SMS reliever Jeff Claybrook to start the seventh inning. Don Rogers was hit by a pitch to advance Lawson to second. Steve Moss then put down a sac bunt to move both runners into scoring position. With one out, Ryan Murphy bounced a ball to SMS second baseman Adam Pummill, and Lawson took off for home on contact. Pummill's throw was close but Lawson slid headfirst and stretched his hand across the plate to give the Billikens the winning margin.

The Billikens took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Rogers singled to left to leadoff and Moss sacrificed him over to second. Kyle Wort singled to center and Rogers came home with the first run of the game. SMS tied the contest in the top of the sixth. Rick Wilson doubled in Brooks Colvin, and the Bears had runners on second and third, but Billiken starter Zach Placzek got a strikeout and lineout to end the threat and keep the game tied at 1-1.

The Billikens responded with four runs in their next at-bat. After Johnny Sweeney singled to lead off, Lawson drew a walk. Both runners advance on a wild pitch, and Moss followed with a single up the middle to boost the Billikens to a 2-1 lead. Murphy was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Kyle Wort lashed an RBI single to left. With the bases still loaded, Jake Friederich pushed a single into right to plate Moss with SLU's fourth run. Aaron Thompson drew a walk from SMS reliever Jeff Claypool to force in the fifth Billiken run on the day. SMS answered by batting around in the top of the seventh. The Bears used two hits and two sac flies to force a 5-5 tie. SLU reliever Dave Guntorius finally ended the SMS outburst to position the Bills for a win in the next inning. He worked a perfect eighth and ninth inning to pick up the win.

Guntorius struck out three and allowed only one hit in 2-1/3 innings. Claybrook took the loss for SMS. Wort and Sweeney both had two hits on the day, and Moss had two crucial sac bunts to ignite the Billiken offense. The Billikens improve to 12-18, while the Bears drop to 19-14.

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