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SAINT LOUIS – Eastern Illinois made a late rally forcing extra innings on Wednesday but a Saint Louis sacrifice fly in the bottom of the tenth won the game for the Billikens, 13-12.
 
EIU dropped to 0-10 on the season and will head to Memphis for a three game series this weekend.  Saint Louis improved to 9-7 overall.
 
EIU fell behind early allowing ten runs in the first three innings.  Christian Slazinik was able to settle the pitching staff down in the middle portion of the game working 2.2 innings allowing just one hit with a strikeout.
 
The Panthers began to rally in the seventh scoring six runs to force extra frames.  In the seventh Brant Valach hit a solo home run to close the gap to 11-7.  Valach finished the day 3-of-5 with three RBI.
 
Freshman Cale Hennemann delivered the heroics in the eighth and ninth innings.  In the eighth Hennemann had an RBI double that scored Mitch Gasbarro.  He would single to right center with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth driving home two runs as Gasbarro tied the game at 12-12 scoring on a fielding error on the hit.  Hennemann was 2-for-5 with three RBI.

"I'm proud of how the team came back from a huge deficit.  We scored six runs in the last three innings against their best bullpen guys," said EIU head coach Jim Schmitz.  "Hopefully this gets us some confidence going into spring break."
 
In the tenth Saint Louis had one-out, back-to-back singles before loading the bases with a walk.  Jeremy Phillips had a sacrifice fly to win the game.  Isaac Sampen (0-1) suffered the loss for EIU working 2.2 innings allowing two hits in the tenth and one run.  Brett Shimanovsky (1-1) picked up the win for SLU working the final three innings.
 
Early in the game SLU scored three runs in the first inning taking advantage of an EIU error.  Jake Henson drove home a run with a sacrifice fly while Braxton Martinez drove home another run.  Henson added an RBI in the second as he was 2-for-5.  Colton Franbasilio had an RBI double in the second and Josh Bunselmeyer connected for a three-run home run in the third.  Franbasilio was 3-for-4 with two doubles.
 
The Panthers offense tried to keep pace with the early Billikens offense.  Jason Scholl had an RBI double in the first.  Valach had an RBI double in the third and RBI single in the fourth.  Caleb Howell finished 2-for-5 with two RBI while Gasbarro was 2-for-3 with three runs scored.