Saint Louis baseball plated 26 runs and totaled 26 hits in a doubleheader sweep over Purdue Saturday at the Billiken Sports Center. The Billikens have now won nine games in a row.
SLU won the opener 15-1, then posted a come-from-behind 11-9 win in the nightcap.
The Billikens improve to 10-7 with the two wins, while Purdue dips to 9-8. The two teams complete the three-game series tomorrow with a 1 p.m. first pitch at The BSC.
First baseman Nick Reeser paced the SLU offense, going 5-for-8 on the day with a team-best six RBIs. In game one, shortstop Alex King drove in a career-high four runs, while three Billikens homered (Aaron Case, Reeser, Carter Hanford).
The Billikens also benefited from the long ball in game two as Ryan Hernandez went yard for his first homer of the season.
SLU’s 15 runs in game one were a season high, and they followed that performance with an 11-run output in the second game. It marked the first time this season the Billikens posted double-digit runs in a game.
GAME ONE RECAP
Case, SLU’s leadoff man, set the tone for the day in the bottom of the first when he blasted a solo shot to left to put the Billikens on the board.
Saint Louis broke the game open in the second inning, plating eight runs in the frame. Reeser hit a two-run bomb, and Hanford followed later with a three-run shot and SLU was quickly on top 9-0 after two innings of play.
The Billikens pushed across five more runs in the sixth, highlighted by a two-run double by James Morisano.
SLU had plenty of run support for pitcher Miller Hogan, who earned his third win of the season after going six innings and allowing one run while scattering six hits. He struck out seven and walked none.
The bullpen was effective in relief, as Connor Lehmann, Keith Kutzler and Tom Bushnell each pitched hitless innings as the Billikens cruised to the win.
GAME TWO RECAP
Purdue plated a pair of runs in the top of the first to take an early lead in game two.
A Reeser RBI double in the second and a King sacrifice fly in the third tied the score at 2-2 after three innings of play.
The Boilermakers responded with a three-spot in the top of the fourth to go back on top. They scored again in the sixth and led 6-3, but the resilient Billikens kept battling and eventually took the lead.
Reeser got one of those runs back with an RBI single in the sixth. Hernandez then blasted a shot over the left-centerfield fence to tie the score at 6-6 after six.
SLU plated a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh to take an 8-6 lead.
In the eighth, SLU would plate three more runs that proved big. Parker Sniatynski stroked a two-run single to center, and Jake Garella followed with a double to left to plate Sniatynski to give SLU the 11-6 lead.
Purdue tried to rally and scored three in the ninth, but Ryan Lefner shut the door to hand the Billikens the victory.
Luke Sommerfeld registered the win on the mound for Saint Louis. He went four innings in relief and allowed just one run on one hit while striking out five batters.
