Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 May 12, 2010
SAUGET, Ill. - The rubber game of the SIUE-SLU series turned out to be a thriller.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Saint Louis University battled 10 innings with the Billikens taking a 6-5 victory.
Mike Levine singled through the left side past the diving SIUE shortstop Matt Highland. Andrew Guerra scored from second on the play.
SLU, 26-23, took the series for the season, winning its second of three games. The game, played with wood bats courtesy of J&C Wood Bat Company, took place at GCS Ballpark.
SIUE, 14-35, opened the scoring in the second inning. With the bases loaded, Mitch Matecki reached first on an error by SLU's Zach Miller. That brought Highland across the plate.
The Cougars opened up a four-run lead in the sixth with a three-run rally. Adam Eggemeyer ripped his ninth home run of the season, a two-run blast to right center. That also gave Eggemeyer a team-leading 40 RBIs.
SLU, which used six pitchers against the Cougars, got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth with three runs of its own. SIUE starter Mitchell Fairley exited after walking the first batter of the sixth.
"He threw really well, but he was tired. He pitched twice this weekend out of the bullpen and had a win and a save," said SIUE Coach Gary Collins.
Brian Lorenz took over for Fairley and gave up two hits. However, two SIUE errors helped SLU cut the lead to 4-3. Brent Rynearson would come in to close out the sixth.
Rynearson turned in his longest outing of the season at 4 1/3 innings in taking the loss in the 10th. Collins said his bullpen was thin for Wednesday's game.
"We had six games in five days," said Collins. "The bottom line is that we just didn't get it done."
James Vazquez would put the Cougars ahead 5-3 in the eighth with an RBI double to left. The Cougar second base joined Eggemeyer with three hits. SIUE outhit the Billikens 12-10.
SLU tied the game in the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Guerra and an RBI single by Levine.
Andrew Buckham collected his first win of the season by throwing a scoreless 10th inning. He is now 1-3.
SIUE now heads to Charleston for three games this weekend. The Cougars play Eastern Illinois twice and Indiana State in a neutral site game.
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