(Courtesy Saint Louis Athletics)
Saint Louis scored five runs with two outs in the eighth inning to capture an 8-5 win over Dayton on Sunday afternoon. Damian Rivera (4-4) gets the win, the 11th of his career. Brett Shimanovsky picked up his second save of the season.
With the win, the Billikens take the series over the Flyers and rise to 27-18 overall and 14-6 in Atlantic 10 Conference games. Saint Louis is second in the conference, one game out of first place in the A-10 standings.
The Bills struggled to hit for most of the contest. Through the first six innings, the Billikens were held to three hits and trailed the Flyers 3-1.
Dayton added two runs in the top of the seventh, but a two-RBI double from Danny Mannion in the bottom of the inning kept the Billikens within two heading to the eighth.
In the eighth inning, the first two SLU batters were set down to put the Billikens in a quick hole. Colton Frabasilio started the rally with a single through the right side. The next pitch was sent into right field by Drew Curtis to put the tying run on first.Josh Bunselmeyer came off the bench to pinch hit and hit a single through the left side, scoring Frabasilio and drawing within one. Michael Cusenza drew a walk to load the bases for Danny Brennan. Brennan turned on a 1-2 pitch and sent it down the right field line, scoring two runs and giving the Billikens their first lead of the game. Mannion singled through the right side in the next at bat to score Brennan and Cusenza and giving SLU an 8-5 lead.
The win is the first time this season the Billikens have won a game after trailing through eight innings.
The offense was powered by Brennan and Mannion. Brennan went 2-3 with two doubles, two walks, two runs scored and two RBIs. Mannion went 2-4 with a double and four RBIs.
Saint Louis will return to action on Wednesday, May 7 when they travel to Edwardsville, Ill. to take on SIUE. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.
