Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Baseball	SIUE Baseball SIUE Athletics

Patrick Keller Game 1 Boxscore Game 2 Boxscore

April 27, 2006 Cougars Sweep Into Second Place         EDWARDSVILLE, ILL. -- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville moved into second place by percentage points in the Great Lakes Valley Conference race with a doubleheader sweep Thursday over Missouri-Rolla.         SIUE, winners of nine straight games and 15 of its last 16 contests, collected its NCAA record 18th shutout in game one with a 1-0 victory at Roy Lee Field. The Cougars, ranked 27th in the nation in the latest Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division II poll, scored three in the bottom of the eight in game two and downed the Miners 7-4.         The Cougars improved to 34-12-1 overall and 27-11-1. SIUE holds a winning percentage of .705, moving ahead of Quincy, which is 28-12 (.700). Missouri-Rolla fell to 11-33 and 9-28 in the GLVC.         Cody Litteken and Patrick Keller combined on a two-hit shutout in the opener. Litteken struck out nine before being pulled in the seventh inning. Keller fanned the only two hitters he faced for his second save of the season.         Jim Grant singled home Jake Smith in the second inning to account for SIUE's lone run.         SIUE's offense looked alive with three runs in the first inning of game two. Kyle Amerson blasted a two-run homer over the right field fence to highlight the inning.         Leading 4-2 after three innings, Missouri-Rolla chased SIUE starter Mike White as Colin Moore rapped a two-run double to right center, tying the score at 4-4.         Jame Hertel came in relief of White and worked 4 1/3 innings for the win. He allowed three hits and struck out two in relief. Adam Schneider came in to finish off the game in the ninth for his seventh save.         SIUE scored three times in the eighth. Amerson led off the inning with a walk off Missouri-Rolla reliever Clint Rogers. After a wild pitch, Michael DalPozzo laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line and easily made second base when UMR third baseman Zac Thompson's throw ended up far down the right field line. Amerson scored easily. The Cougars added an RBI single by Grant and an RBI double by Ryan Czyz.         The Cougars now head to Louisville, Ky., for a four-game series against Bellarmine. Game time on both Saturday and Sunday for the doubleheaders is noon.                 -siue cougars-