After opening the season this weekend with three losses in
Nashville, Tenn. against Belmont University, the Saint Louis
University baseball team won their home opener 8-4 Wednesday over
the Indiana State University Sycamores.
With the win, the Billikens improved to 1-3 on the season,
beating the Sycamores, who are 0-1.
After both teams went hitless in each of the first two innings,
Indiana State got on the scoreboard first with a pair of runs in
the top of the third inning.
After freshman Ryan Bond led off the inning with a double to the
gap in left-center field, he advanced to third base when SLU
freshman pitcher Ryan Bird was called for a balk.
Bond scored the first run of the game when Kyle Kolb grounded
out. Marcus Artner later doubled to right field, then scored when
Sycamore senior Barry Warn singled to right field, making the score
2-0 in favor of the Sycamores.
The Billikens knotted the score up at two in the bottom of the
fourth inning when sophomore Johnny Sweeney singled and senior Kyle
Wort walked.
Junior Patrick Valdez doubled to left field to plate both
runners and even the score for the Billikens. This sparked the
Bills offensively and previewed what was to come later on in the
next inning as the Billikens caught on to the timing of the
Sycamore pitchers.
SLU scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to give
themselves an 8-2 lead and successfully end the day of the
Sycamores starting pitcher, Brian Woods.
He was replaced with St. Louis native Chris Jones, who did not
retire any of the five batters he faced, surrendering five runs on
only four hits.
inning, followed by an Aaron Thompson single, and a walk by Pat
Steinhoff to load the bases.
After two scores, the game was busted open when freshman
outfielder Mark Hankes doubled to the left-center field gap,
scoring Sweeney and junior shortstop Pat Steinhoff, and making the
score 6-2 in favor of the surging Bills.
The Billikens added two more runs to top off the inning and take
a comfortable lead into the final third of the ball game.
Indiana State made an attempt at a comeback in the top of the
seventh inning, scoring two quick runs and ending Ryan Bird’s day
on the mound.
Bird was relieved by senior Joe Buehler, who pitched the last
2.2 innings–highlighted by retiring the side in order in the top
of the ninth–picking up his first save of the season.
In the Billikens’ victory, Bird picked up his first collegiate
victory, allowing four runs, scattering six hits and pitching well
into the seventh inning.
“We thought he did an outstanding job. For the most part he was
ahead of hitters and kept them off balance with his breaking ball
and his fastball,” said SLU baseball coach Bob Hughes.
“It was a good ballgame for us,” Hughes said. “It was something
that we needed.”
The Billikens are next in action this weekend with a three-game
set with the Creighton University Blue Jays, a fellow Jesuit school
from Omaha, before traveling to Evansville for a game next
Tuesday.
Friday afternoon’s game will be at 2 p.m., while the Saturday
and Sunday’s contests will be at 1 pm. All three games will be
played at the Billiken Sports Center.
Baseball Homestand
Who: Creighton Blue Jays
When: Tomorrow thru Sunday
Where: The Billiken Sports Complex
