May 22, 2002

Final Stats

KINSTON, N.C. - Saint Louis University baseball ended its season with a heartbreaking 6-5 loss to Tulane in the Conference USA Baseball Tournament at Grainger Stadium this afternoon. The Billikens tied the game in the top of the ninth on junior Jake Friederich's second RBI of the day, but saw the winning run score on a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the frame.

After falling behind 5-4 in the sixth inning, the Billikens rallied in their final at-bat. Junior Andrew Slania opened the ninth with a single to centerfield. Freshman Dave Samples came on to pinch run for the Billiken catcher and moved to second on freshman Pat Steinhoff's sacrifice bunt. Friederich singled to center to plate Samples and tie the game.

The Green Wave took advantage of a Billiken error to get a runner on with one out in the bottom of the frame. A fielder's choice erased the lead runner for the second out, but runners moved up when reliever Wes Jaillet issued a walk to Anthony Giarratano. James Burgess' single up the middle loaded the bases. Tulane second baseman Turner Brumby drew a walk to plate Michael Aubrey, whose shot induced the error, to win the game.

Tulane's offense was active early, opening the game with a pair of singles on SLU starter Corey Lawson. After recording the first two outs, Lawson issued a walk to Giarratano to load the bases. The first-team All-Conference hurler got Gerald Clark to look at strike three to end the inning. The second inning had just as auspicious a beginning when a single and a sacrifice put a runner in scoring position for Tommy Manzella's RBI single to score the game's first run. Jon Kaplan followed with a double to left center to give the Green Wave a 2-0 lead.

The Billikens answered with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth on junior Ryan Murphy's double to left center. SLU took the lead with two more runs in the fifth. Sophomore Kyle Wort started the inning with a double to left and moved to third on Steinhoff's ground out. With two outs, senior Kurt Evans drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Friederich, who delivered with a single through the left side. Murphy picked up his third RBI of the game on a single to right that scored Evans to put the Bills up 4-2.

Tulane went quietly in the fifth, but jumped on Lawson in the sixth. A strikeout opened the inning, but two singles and an error later, the bases were loaded for Manzella, who picked up the first of his game-high three RBI with a double down the rightfield line. Much like the second inning, Kaplan followed with an RBI single to give the Green Wave a 5-4 lead. Jaillet took over for Lawson and recorded the final out on a strikeout to limit the damage.

For the Billikens, who end the season with a 22-30 overall record, Jaillet picked up the loss in his final appearance in a SLU uniform. Tulane reliever Beau Richardson earned the win for Tulane, despite blowing the save. Jaillet recorded three strikeouts in 3-1/3 innings of work, moving him into second place on the SLU career strikeout list with 237. Offensively, the Billikens got two hits each from Friederich and Murphy, who also accounted for all five RBI in the game. Evans picked up a hit, drew two of the team's four walks and scored twice. Wort and Slania contributed the other two hits as the Bills were out-hit 12-8 by the Green Wave.

Saint Louis Billikens Baseball