May 8, 2010
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA - With the help of five unearned runs, Saint Louis jumped out to a seven-run lead and held off the late-charging La Salle Explorers to pick up a 10-8 victory at Hank DeVincent Field Saturday afternoon and even the Atlantic 10 Conference baseball series at a game apiece.
Brendan Norton led the Explorers with four hits and two runs, while Tony Negrin and Jeff Flax each also scored twice, as Negrin had three hits, Flax two and drove in three. Jon Gyles also had two hits and, off the pine, Adam Kammler had a career-high three hits.
Leading 3-2 entering the fifth frame, the Billikens used a lead-off double and two walks to load the bases with two outs. Cody Cotter drew a walk off of La Salle reliever Christian Schulz to score one, a wild pitch plated another, and then a JD Dunn grounder was misplayed allowing two runs to score. Jon Myers put Saint Louis up 9-2 with a two-RBI single up the middle.
La Salle plated a single run in the first and third frames as Negrin scored both thanks to an RBI by John Malloy and Gyles, his team-leading 42nd of the year, tying him for the eighth most in a single season at La Salle. Malloy added his second RBI of the day with a solo home run, the 17th of his career, in the bottom of the fifth.
The Explorers cut the deficit to 9-4 in the sixth, as Negrin notched his third hit of the day to score Flax. Then, one inning later, Flax made it a two-run contest as he launched his second home run of the year, a three-run shot scoring Gyles and Norton, over the right-field fence.
Saint Louis (24-23, 11-9 A-10) managed to add an insurance run in the top of the eighth on an RBI single by Ben Braaten, which scored Danny Brock, who led the Billikens with a 3-for-5 day with two RBI and two runs, while Cotter scored a team-high three times.
Alex Alemann (7-4) was pulled after 6.2 innings of work, after allowing 13 hits and seven earned runs. Andres Wiltz ended the seventh and pitched a perfect eighth out of the pen. However, Norton, who had a career-high four hits, singled to lead off the ninth.
After getting one out, Wiltz walked Chris Umstead and Kammler laced a double into right field to score Norton and put the tying runners on second and third. It was Norton's 45th run scored this season, which is the 11th most in a single season at the school.
The Billikens went to their bullpen once again and called in Jon Levin, who finished Friday's game with a perfect eighth. He struck out the final two Explorers to end the contest, picking up his first save of the season.
Kevin Christy, who got the start for La Salle, went 4.2 innings for the Explorers, allowed six hits, six runs, four earned, walked four, hit three, and struck out six. His 68 strikeouts for the season are tied for the fifth most in a single season at La Salle.
Schulz went 2.2 innings, surrendered four hits, one earned run, and struck out one. Pat Christensen threw the final 1.2 innings and struck out one.
La Salle (16-27, 10-10 A-10) and the Billikens will play the rubber match of the series on Sunday with first pitch slated for 12 PM.
