Box Score LITTLE ROCK ? UALR scored seven runs in the first two innings and rode solid outings from juniors Daniel Golden and Garret Graziano to an 8-2 win over Saint Louis (2-1) on Saturday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field. Senior Tyson Parks drove in three runs and the junior Jake Rowell hit a two-run homer as the Trojans improved to 2-0 on the season.
Junior Jason Houston went 3-for-5 at the plate with three runs scored and a RBI in his first action of the 2010 season, while senior Nate Brown enjoyed a 3-for-5 afternoon with two runs scored.
Golden (1-0) got the win in his UALR debut after holding SLU to six hits and two runs over 5.2 innings. Graziano closed out the game with 3.1 scoreless frames, allowing just one hit while striking out five to pick up his first save.
The Trojans jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first after opening the game with three-straight hits off of SLU's Alex Alemann (0-1). Brown led off the inning with an infield single and came around to score when Houston doubled to right center. Rowell followed with a two-run blast to right to give the Trojans a 3-0 lead. Junior Cody Gilles made it a 4-0 contest moments later when he scored from third on a RBI groundout by senior Landis Wilson.
UALR extended its lead to 7-0 in the bottom of the second after Parks delivered a bases-clearing double to right. The Trojans loaded the bases with no outs on the board after opening the frame with back-to-back singles by Brown and Houston, and a walk by Rowell.
Down 8-0, the Billikens finally got on the board in the top of the fifth when Steve Fernandez led off the inning with a solo shot to right. Saint Louis pushed across another run in the sixth to cut its deficit to 8-2, as Ben Braaten hit a leadoff single and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Jon Myers. The Billikens went quietly over the final three innings, however, as Graziano fanned five batters and held SLU to one hit over the final 3.0 frames.
Alemann took the loss for SLU after allowing nine hits and eight runs over 4.0 innings. Jim Foster came on in relief of Alemann in the fifth, and was able to close out the game with 4.0 innings of scoreless relief by holding the Trojans to two hits.
UALR returns to action Sunday afternoon with a doubleheader against Saint Peter's College at 1 p.m.
