May 5, 2002

Final Stats

GREENVILLE, N.C. - Saint Louis University won a Conference USA baseball series for the first time all season as the Billikens (17-26, 7-15 C-USA) split a doubleheader at No. 14 East Carolina this afternoon at Harrington Field. SLU took game one 2-1 behind the solid pitching of junior Corey Lawson who allowed just four hits in his eighth complete game of the season. The Pirates (35-13-1, 14-9-1 C-USA) picked up the 2-1 win in game two to avoid the sweep.

Junior Jake Baumgartner got the start for SLU in game two and was solid throughout his 3-1/3 innings of work. Baumgartner pitched out of a jam in the first inning when the Pirates had runners on the corners and failed to score. He faced the minimum in the second and third innings. After retiring the first batter in the fourth, however, Baumgartner walked Nick Wedemeyer, gave up a single to Adam Stephens and saw a run score on a Ryan Norwood RBI double to right center. When the lefty hit the next batter to load the bases with just one out, he was forced to turn the game over to senior Wes Jaillet. The experienced hurler calmly struck out the next two batters to end the threat.

The Billiken offense could not get going, though, as ECU starter Davey Penny gave up just two hits through the first six innings. The Pirates got a pair of hits and capitalized on a SLU error in the bottom of the sixth to push the lead to 2-0. Saint Louis looked to rally in the ninth as senior Kurt Evans led off with a single up the middle, advanced to second on Ryan Murphy's ground out and reached third on a wild pitch. Down to their last out, the Billikens saw sophomore Drew Eder drive a single to left to plate Evans and cut the lead in half. ECU went to closer Greg Bunn for the final out, and he got Kyle Wort to go down looking to end the game.

The linescore for game one was exactly inverse from that of game two. Confident after Friday's 6-2 victory, the Billiken offense struck early with Jim Bredenkoetter's sixth home run of the season to lead off the second inning. A more fundamental approach generated another run in the fourth as Murphy led off with a single and moved to second on Bredenkoetter's ground out. Eder picked up the RBI on a single through the right side to give the Bills a 2-0 lead. SLU was on the verge of blowing the game open as singles from Steve Moss and Andrew Slania loaded the bases. ECU starter Will Brinson gave way to Neal Sears on the mound, and the reliever got the final Billiken to strike out and end the inning.

The Pirates got a leadoff home run from Darryl Lawhorn to open their half of the fourth, but it was all they could muster against Lawson. The Billikens' ace allowed just one hit over the final three innings to secure his seventh win of the season.

Lawson gave up just four hits and struck out two in the seven-inning complete game. His eight complete games are just one off the school record set by All-American John Marcum in 1965 and are the most by a Billiken hurler since Matt Boxdorfer's eight in 1987.

The Billikens will not play a mid-week game this week due to exams, but return to Conference USA action next weekend against Memphis. The team's final homestand of the year begins Fri., May 10, at 7 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday games beginning at 1 p.m. SLU will honor its nine seniors on Sunday before the game.

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