The Saint Louis University baseball team got Biblical on Southeast Missouri State yesterday. Playing the role of David, the Billikens slayed the mighty Indians.
Jim Bredenkoetter laced a single down the left field line in the eighth to score Paul Miles, putting the Billikens ahead for good, 5-4.
SEMO was 20-9 entering Wed. and had recieved votes in the national top 25 poll.
“This was a good win for us. SEMO played well earlier in the year. It was the kind of game we needed,” said Head Coach Bob Hughes.
Ben Hutton started for SLU and made quick work of the Indians in the first. He gunned down the first two hitters and forced a groundout to bring the Billikens to the plate.
SLU went down in order in the first with a groundout to third and a pair of flyouts.
Hutton continued his mastery of SEMO in the second. He erased a single and ended the inning with a doubleplay groundout.
SLU had a promising start as Adam Shea and Nick Steiner both singled to begin the second. SEMO killed the Billiken rally with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout.
SEMO threatened with a leadoff double in the third, but Hutton struck out two and forced a popout to right to get out of trouble.
Kurt Evans singled past the shortstop to start the bottom of the third for the Bills. Brian Haddock hit into a fielders choice and Evans was cleared from the bases. Haddock was later thrown out trying to steal.
The Indians put the first run on the board in the fourth inning. Charlie Marino singled and was advanced to third by Darin Kinsolving. Marino came around score on a single by Zach Borowiak. Hutton worked his way out of the inning without allowing any runs, keeping the damage to a minimum.
SLU answered in the bottom half of the fourth. Shea walked and Steiner followed with a single. Mike Orrico singled; then John McLaughlin reached on a fielder’s choice. Shea came around and scored on the force-out. Steiner crossed the plate as SEMO commited a throwing error trying to gun down Miles.
Hutton put down SEMO quickly in the fifth, pitching around a leadoff triple by Kevin Meyer.
The Billikens added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Brian Haddock reached second on an error and scored as Bredenkoetter singled. Orrico singled and a hustling Bredenkoetter came around to score.
The Indians wasted no time in matching the Billikens output. Kinsolving singled, Jeff Bourbon walked; and Borowiak doubled in both runners. Meyer hit a double and tied the game up before Hutton forced a flyout to right field.
SLU had two walks in the bottom of the sixth, but Haddock grounded into a double play to kill any the SLU rally.
Wes Jaillet took the mound for the Bills in the seventh and went right to work as he struck out two and forced a flyout to left field.
The Billikens threatened in the seventh, but Bradenkoetter was stopped at third.
Dan Parker, the eventual winner, came into the game for the Billikens in the eighth. He recorded two strikeouts and kept the Indians from extending their lead.
Miles was hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth. Haddock walked. Bredenkoetter hit a smash past the third baseman and drove in Miles.
Parker gave up a leadoff single to Clemente Bonilla, who advanced to second on a wild pitch. However, that’s all the Indians would get as Parker stayed tough and finished the game.
“These are the results we need. Our ballclub is a lot better than our record shows,” Hughes said.
The Billikens travel to Conference USA South Florida this weekend.
“This is a real important series for us. We had tough luck at Tulane. We had great pitching, but our offense sputtered. We need to find a consistant level and sustain it. When that happens, the team will excell,” Hughes said.
