The timely hitting just wasn’t there.
The Saint Louis University Billikens couldn’t push enough runners across the plate in yesterday’s 5-2 loss to the University of Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks.
The Bills stranded 10 runners and couldn’t get the hit that they needed to pick up the win. For the most part, the Billikens’ offense came from the top four slots in the batting order and no one else.
The Skyhawks jumped on the Bills early and took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
From there, Billiken starter Jake Baumgartner settled down and allowed just one more run in the next six innings. Baumgartner finished the day after seven innings and surrendered two runs on seven hits and recorded five strikeouts.
At 2-2 in the eighth, the Bills loaded the bases with no one out but couldn’t push the lead run across. Catcher Andrew Slania popped out to the Skyhawk third baseman in foul territory and then designated hitter Derek Muncy grounded into an inning ending double play.
In the ninth the Skyhawks got three runs off Billiken relievers Greg Coles and Kris Weber to win the game. The loss dropped Coles to 0-2 on the year.
The weekend series against UAB was decided by one thing: defense.
Game one saw the Blazers make five errors to the Billikens one. The Billikens put 16 runs on the board, their highest total of the season. Nine of the runs were earned as the Bills had 13 hits on the night.
On the mound, Wes Jaillet tossed a complete game three hitter. Jaillet gave up two runs and had 12 strikeouts.
Coach Bob Hughes said, “Wes did what he needed to do to get by on Friday night, but he was not sharp.”
Saturday’s games were more of the same-whoever played defense won.
“Defense is a thing of pride when you lose your focus you make mistakes. I think that we maybe have some guys who are taking their at-bats out in the field with them,” Hughes said.
In the first game the Billikens made five errors to the Blazers zero. Starter Zach Placzek lasted two and two-thirds of an inning and gave up seven runs, only two of which were earned.
The Bills offense was led by Evans, who went two for four with two runs scored and an RBI. No other Billiken had multiple hits and the Bills lost 8-3.
The second game of the double-dip saw both teams make three errors. The Billikens were able to work around their errors, mainly because of another superb pitching effort from Corey Lawson.
Lawson dominated the Blazers and threw his sixth straight complete game.
He gave up no earned runs and struck out 11. Lawson dominated the outside half of the plate and had UAB futilely waving at pitch after pitch.
“In the last couple of starts my cut fastball has been really effective for me It’s just getting to the point where I can use my fastball to set it up and then throw it on the outside corner,” Lawson said.
Thanks to Lawson’s pitching and the hitting of Murphy and Drew Eder, SLU was able to capture the victory 4-1.
“I am getting a lot of pitches to hit. I have good guys hitting behind me, and I am getting a lot of fastballs right now. I like it (hitting fourth in the order), it gives me more RBI opportunities and a chance to hit with guys on base,” Eder said.
SLU is back in action this weekend as the Bills travel to TCU to take on the Horned Frogs in another Conference USA series.
