Baseball
The Billikens are back to .500 play after an 11-4 victory over Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville on April 28 at the Billiken Sports Complex.
The Billikens (21-21) matched their season-high with 17 total hits in the game. Sophomore Zack Miller racked up four hits, a career high, to go along with two runs scored and two RBIs.Danny Brock knocked in his conference-leading 59th RBI while going 3-for-3. Brock is now only seven RBIs short of the SLU single-season record.
The Billikens used five pitchers to hold the Cougars (12-28) to only four hits on the night. Sophomore Jerry Mancuso started the game, allowing one unearned run on one hit in three games.
SLU returns to action in a crucial three-game series against Atlantic 10 Conference foe St. Bonaventure this weekend. Game one is set for Friday at 7 p.m. The Billikens are 8-7 in league play and are tied for fifth in the A-10 standings with four other clubs.
Annual Awards
A handful of Billikens were honored on April 26 at Lorenzini’s Restaurant inside Chaifetz Arena.
Men’s soccer player Ross Kaufman, diver Anna Larson and volleyball’s Whitney Roth earned Saint Louis University’s 2010 Outstanding Senior Student-Athlete of the Year awards. The awards are based on academic achievement, athletic accomplishment and community service.
Women’s basketball player Amanda Kemezys earned the Inspirational Award.
Last year, Kaufman led the Billikens to the Atlantic 10 Championship and the second round of the NCAA Tournament with 12 wins, including six shutouts. During his career, he helped the team reach the NCAA Tournament four straight years. As a junior, he was the recipient of the team’s Mark Demling Award as the player who puts the team first and foremost and gives everything he has to the team.
Larson finished her career as the top diver in program history. She was a four-time NCAA Zone qualifier and two-time A-10 champion diver on the three-meter board. A three-time team MVP, she finished in first place 16 times as a senior and 72 times in her career.
Roth finished her collegiate career as one of the program’s most decorated athletes ever. She helped the team to three NCAA Tournament bids and the program’s first national ranking. She twice was named honorable mention All-America and was the first to be named A-10 Setter of the Year three straight times. She broke the school record for career assists by more than 2,000, and finished with 5,463. She was also named to the A-10 All-Academic team twice.
One of the most affable and engaging members of the team, Kemezys served as team captain and posted the team’s highest GPA. She battled through numerous injuries to her feet, legs and shoulder. Kemezys holds the school record for rebounds in a season with 273, and she finished in the top 10 in seven career categories.
Softball
Senior Brittney Schmidt proved to be the difference in both games of a double-header against Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, on April 28 at the Billiken Sports Complex.
Schmidt hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning to register the only run in a 1-0 victory during the opener. The infielder then drove in the winning run in the sixth inning of the nightcap.
Hannah Huebbe worked out of a key bases-loaded crisis in the top of the sixth inning to finish her complete-game shut out. Huebbe’s record improved to 14-9 as a starting pitcher.
SLU posted an early 4-0 lead in the first inning of the second contest. Kristin Nicoletti began the rally with a single to left and a subsequent stolen base. She was moved to third on sacrifice bunt turned base hit by Rachel Faletto. A hit batter and then a walk would lead to the first run, followed by a bloop-single that scored two more. The final run of the inning scored on a throwing error.
SIUE would tie the game in the top of the sixth, before Schmidt’s single scored Nicki Jost to secure the sweep for the Billikens.
Huebbe would retire three straight batters in the seventh to earn her second straight win of the day. Huebbe moved into 10th place for SLU wins.
