May 3, 2003

Memphis, Tenn. - Back-to-back home runs by Ryan Martin and Michael Lewis in the seventh inning lifted Memphis to a 4-2 victory over Saint Louis in game one of a doubleheader Saturday at Nat Buring Stadium. The victory clinched the Tigers' second C-USA series win of the season as they won game by the same score of 4-2 Friday. Martin, Lewis and centerfielder Kevin House each had two hits in the contest while House had two RBIs and extended his hitting streak to 13 games.

The Billikens collected a pair of singles in the first, but could not push a run across on Memphis starter Brandon Rowan.

Memphis got their first hit off of SLU starter Ben Hutton in the third when second baseman Michael Lewis led off the frame with a double into left field. Lewis' double was the first of three hits in the inning for Memphis as the Tigers took a 1-0 lead on a RBI single by Kevin House.

SLU threatened in the fifth when Derek Muncy missed a home run by inches lining a double of the top of the leftfield wall, but the Billikens' designated hitter was erased at third on a failed sacrifice bunt attempt. Rowan got the next Billikens in order to retire the side.

The Billikens cracked the scoreboard in the sixth to take a 2-1 lead. Shortstop Aaron Thompson reached on a fielding error and scored on a two-run homer by first baseman Ryan Murphy. After a double by Don Rogers, Rowan was replaced by righthander Bill Edwards. Edwards walked Muncy, then struck out Kyle Wort to end the inning.

Hutton allowed only an infield single to Martin from the fourth through sixth inning, but the Tigers touched up the Billiken starter in the seventh taking a 4-2 lead on four hits. Martin and Lewis hit back-to-back solo home runs with one out. After Kelly Edmundson singled and stole second, Kevin House delivered a two-out RBI single which was his second of the game. Dave Guntorius relieved Hutton (0-8), who took the loss, and pitched out of the jam without allowing any further runs.

Edwards (4-6) allowed just three hits in 3.1 innings of relief to pick up his team-leading fourth win of the season. Edwards struck out three as the Billikens put to runners on in the ninth, but SLU could not push any runs across in its final at-bat. The victory was Edwards' first in C-USA play this season and runs his scoreless innings streak to 7.2.

Game three of the series has been moved up a day due to forecasted rains in the Memphis area on Sunday. The second game of Saturday's doubleheader begins at 5:20 p.m., at Nat Buring Stadium.