Craycraft Silences Billikens in 4-1 Victory

Friday, March 13

St. Louis, Mo.

4 p.m.

Murray State

Saint Louis

3/13/2009 5:00:00 AM | Baseball

Junior right hander Chris Craycraft limited St. Louis to just four hits over six innings and the ?Breds offense continued its timely hitting in a 4-1 victory over the Billikens in the first game of a three-game series Friday afternoon. The victory improves MSU to 11-3 this season, their best start since 1979 when they started 15-3-1.

Craycraft (3-1) allowed just one run on four hits and seven strikeouts over six innings. He retired the first eight hitters he faced and later struck out four-straight hitters in the fourth and fifth innings.

The ?Breds got on the board in the third inning as Daniel Miller singled to left and Elliot Frey followed with a base hit through the left side. After a Kyle Tiernan sacrifice bunt, Wes Cunningham plated Miller with a groundout to short.

The Billikens (9-5) tied the game in the bottom of the inning as Cody Cotter doubled to right and later scored on a wild pitch.

MSU added a run in the fifth as Cunningham tripled into the gap in right center with two outs and scored on Daniel Hill's single to right center.

The ?Breds got the insurance they needed in the seventh as Tiernan singled to left center ahead of Cunningham's two-run blast to right field, his second of the season.

Scott Turmail (2-1) took the loss for SLU as he gave up four runs on 11 hits over eight innings. Lucas Allen (3) allowed two hits over the final three innings to pick up the save.

Cunningham finished the game by going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Miller added two hits.

The two teams will play the middle game of the three-game series tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.