Troy University Athletics
Trojans Hang On For 5-4 Win Over Saint Louis
3/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
TROY, Ala. - Senior Michael Clements did not have an at bat for Troy Friday night, in fact he did not have a single mark in the final box score, but he did save the victory for the Trojans.
Clements, who came on the play left field in the eighth inning, preserved Troy's 5-4 win over visiting Saint Louis University by preventing Billikens' center fielder Jon Guyre's drive into the corner with two-out in the ninth from leaving the park for a game-tying homer.
Clements and Guyre's drive off Trojans relief pitcher Ryan Ramsey reached the fence at the same moment and the McComb, Miss., native kept the ball in the park. Patrick Valdez, who singled to start the inning, scored on the play, but Guyre was held to a triple.
"Michael made a great effort on that play and saved the game for us," Troy coach Bobby Pierce said. "I wish he could have caught it and the game would have been over, but he gave us a chance to win the game without going to extra innings."
Ramsey, who came on in relief of Troy starter Landon Brazell (3-0) to start the ninth inning, did not have his best stuff. After Guyre's triple, sophomore left-hander Jon Gianquitti came in to save the win. SLU sent pinch-hitter Mark Hanks up to try to extend the game, but Gianquitti struck him out with a 3-2 breaking ball to earn his first save.
"Landon was outstanding again tonight, but Ramsey came in and didn't have hit good stuff," Pierce said. "It is hard to just pitch once a week as a reliever and stay sharp."
Brazell worked eight innings for the second straight outing, allowing just four hits and three runs, two earned. He walked two and struck out six.
Troy had to come from behind to win the game after letting a 1-0 lead slip away in the sixth inning. The Billikens got two runs off Brazell in that frame thanks to a pair of singles, a walk and a fielding error.
The Trojans answered in the bottom of the frame. Henry Gutierrez opened the inning by reaching on an error on a hard-hit ball to third base. Nick Smith followed with a two-run homer on the very next pitch to give Troy a 3-2 lead.
Troy added a pair of valuable insurance runs in the seventh, chasing SLU starting pitcher Ryan Bird (0-1) in the process. Adam Godwin, who doubled and scored Troy's first run in the third inning, reached on a walk and then stole second and third. After Eric Rorh came on in relief for the Billikens, Clint Robinson singled to right and then moved all the way to third on a two-base error by Matt Gerst.
Gutierrez followed with an RBI single for a 5-2 lead.
Bird allowed three earned runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out four.
Saint Louis cut the margin to 5-3 on Gerst's solo homer in the eighth.
Brian Bennett joined Robinson, Gutierrez and Smith with two hits each for Troy in the game.
The two teams will play the second game of their three-game series on Saturday. The first pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
