MERION STATION, Pa. – Joey Gale's eighth-inning single plated the winning run as the Saint Joseph's baseball team came from behind to beat Saint Louis, 5-4, at Smithson Field on Friday afternoon.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Saint Joseph's (18-11 overall, 10-1 Atlantic 10) once again got off to a hot start, scoring three times in the first on singles by Richard Beggy and Tim Dickinson.
 
• Saint Louis (13-17 overall, 4-7 Atlantic 10) made its way back into the game with a solo home run in the third by Drew Kleinheider.  Chase Beattie hit one in the fourth before a Matthew Arnold double scored Hank Gomric to tie it.
 
• Austin Neuweg put the Billikens ahead with a solo shot in the sixth, but Blake Primrose came through with one of his own to right in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 4-4.
 
• In the eighth, Dickinson led off the inning and was hit by a pitch.  Pinch hitter Eric Cross laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Dickinson into scoring position before a fly ball to right off the bat of Carson Applegate moved him to third.  That brought up Gale, whose single scored Dickinson to give the Hawks the lead.
 
• Andrew Gaines came out of the bullpen and struck out the side in the ninth to lock up the win.
 
BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
• Gaines notched his fifth save of the season to secure the win for Christian Coppola, who allowed a run on two hits while striking out nine in four innings.  Drew Welk took the loss for Saint Louis after allowing a run on one hit in an inning and two-thirds.
 
• Duke McCarron got the start for the Hawks and tossed four innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out four.  Ty Holman worked five and a third for the Billikens and was charged with three runs on six hits.
 
• Coppola recorded a rare "immaculate inning" in the fifth, striking out the side on just nine pitches.
 
• Primrose, Beggy, and Dickinson all enjoyed multi-hit games, while Primrose scored twice in the game for the Hawks.
 
UP NEXT
The series wraps up at noon on Saturday.