May 25, 2013

CHARLOTTE, NC – Saint Louis forced a winner take all game for the 2013 Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship as the Billikens topped Charlotte 5-4 on Saturday afternoon.  

The two teams will square off 3:30 p.m. to decide the league champion.  It will mark just the third time since 2006 that a “if necessary” game will be needed to decide the A-10 Baseball Champion. On the previous two occasions, XU (2009) & St. Bonaventure (2006).

Saint Louis got a strong outing from starter Clay Smith who went eight innings and allowed four runs while striking out five and walking just one.

The Bills were led at the plate by Mike Vigliarolo who went 4-for-5 with an RBI, including a home run.  Mike Levine and Alec Sole also added three hits each for Saint Louis.

The game was tight throughout, with the Bills holding a slim 2-0 leading heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.   The first three Billikens reached base safely to load the bases with no outs. Alex Kelly hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field to score Solé from third. Later in the frame, SLU re-loaded the bases with two outs, and Brennan hit a single up the middle, scoring Grant Nelson and Michael Bozarth to give SLU a 5-0 lead through six.

Charlotte got on the board in the seventh inning with a three-run homer off the bat of Grant Dunnegan that made it 5-3.    With two outs in the innings, Michael Green singled and came around to score when Shane Basen doubled.  Basen tried to stretch it to a triple, but was thrown out at third to end the inning and keeping the game at 5-4.

Charlotte got the leadoff batter on in the ninth inning, but Saint Louis’ Matt Eckelman got the final two outs to seal the win for SLU.