 Bird Deals 6-0 Shutout in Season Finale
May 21, 2005 GREENVILLE, N.C. - Saint Louis sophomore Ryan Bird pitched a complete-game shutout in a 6-0 victory over East Carolina this afternoon. In the season finale, the Billikens won the early pitchers' duel after a four-run sixth inning highlighted by Drew Eder's two-run double. SLU (13-40, 8-22 C-USA) out-hit the Pirates 8-3 as Bird gave up just one extra-base hit in nine innings of work. Bird faced just one over the minimum through four innings. The Billikens looked to break the shutout in the top of the fifth after Tim Landy singled to right center. Jon Guyre then ripped a two-out double to left, but Landy was thrown out at the plate on the play. The Pirates opened the bottom of the frame with a double, their first runner in scoring position, but Bird retired the next three hitters. A leadoff walk to John Bridges started the Billiken sixth. Pat Steinhoff reached on catcher's interference, and both runners advanced on Johnny Sweeney's sacrifice. After the Pirates chose to intentionally walk Scott Peden, Eder delivered a double to left, scoring both Bridges and Steinhoff. The end of the shutout sent ECU starter Mike Flye to the dugout for Brett Braxton. Again, ECU issued an intentional walk, this one to Patrick Valdez, before a passed ball allowed Peden to score from third for a 3-0 lead. After Bill Musselman drew a walk to load the bases, Landy pushed the lead to 4-0 with a sacrifice fly to center. SLU added two more runs in the top of the eighth, beginning which Peden's double to left, which sent the Pirates to the bullpen again for P.J. Connelly. Peden moved to third on Eder's single and scored on a passed ball. Musselman's single up the middle put Eder on third, and Landy again lifted a sacrifice fly to center for a 6-0 margin.
With a comfortable lead, Bird allowed the Pirates just one more hit of the final four innings of his first shutout of the season. The sophomore right-hander improved to 5-5 on the season, while ECU's Flye fell to 6-4. With two hits and two RBI each, Eder and Landy led all hitters. In the conclusion of Friday night's game, which was postponed by rain, the Pirates prevailed 9-5. With a 7-3 lead and one out in the bottom of the sixth when the weather halted the game, East Carolina added one more run on Dale Mollenhauer's ground ball to second before SLU reliever Chris Paulson closed out the inning. Harrison Eldridge made it a 9-3 margin with an RBI single to right in the bottom of the seventh. The Billikens looked to rally in the ninth, starting with John Bridges' double down the right field line. He scored on Steinhoff's home run to right, his second in as many games. The Pirates held on for the win with a game-ending double play. With Saturday's season finale, Saint Louis closed out its 10-year tenure in Conference USA. The Billikens will move to the Atlantic 10 Conference in the 2005-06 academic year. |
|
