Sanford, Fla., March 10, 2011 – The Washington University in St. Louis baseball team won its 2011 University Athletic Association (UAA) opener with a 6-3 victory over Case Western Reserve University on Thursday night at Sanford Memorial Stadium in Sanford, Florida.
Freshman Michael Reilly came out of the bullpen and picked up the win, tossing 3 1/3 innings allowing three hits and one unearned run. Reilly also struck out two and walked one as he lowered his earned run average to 1.69.
Junior Brandon Rogalski led the offensive attack with a 3-for-5 performance with two RBIs, while freshman Kyle Billig added three hits in the win. The Bears got all eight of their hits from the top four batters in the lineup. Washington U. made five errors in the loss and gave up just two earned runs.
Washington U. jumped out in front 3-0 in the third inning after stringing together four-straight hits with two outs. Billig doubled down the left field to start the rally, followed but senior Matt Skinner's first-pitch RBI double to left center field to make 1-0. Senior Travis May hit the first pitch down the right field line for a double scoring Skinner, and then Rogalski singled up the middle driving in May to make it 3-0.
The Bears added two more runs in the fifth to make it 5-0, highlighted by Billig's RBI infield single. Case got on the scoreboard with two runs in the fifth on an RBI double by Sam Alexander and an RBI single by Cory Pecoraro. The Spartans had bases loaded in the fifth, but Reilly got Jimmy Aded to strikeout to end the threat.
Reilly shut the door on the Spartans in the sixth and seventh allowing just two hits, including a 1-2-3 seventh inning. He got the first two hitters in the bottom of the eighth, but an error by third baseman Miguel Davis extended the inning. Case added an unearned run after a two-out RBI single by Brett Ossola, but Reilly got Sam Alexander to fly out to left field.
Rogalski added a two-out RBI single up the middle in the top of the ninth to push the advantage to 6-3, and then senior H.T. Flanagan recorded three-straight outs in the bottom of the ninth for his first career save. Case Western Reserve (6-5, 0-2 UAA) had 10 hits in the loss, and made two errors, which led to two unearned runs.
Washington U. (4-5, 1-0 UAA) continues play in the UAA Championship against Brandeis University on Friday, March 11, at 6 p.m. (ET).