ST. LOUIS, MO. – Sophomore
Tom DeCero went a combined 3-for-6 with five RBIs to help the University of Missouri-St. Louis baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Maryville Sunday afternoon as the two teams closed out a four-game GLVC series. The Tritons won by scores of 5-3 and 7-6.
UMSL improves to 8-11 overall, including 2-2 in the GLVC, while Maryville is 15-10 and 2-2 in the league.
GAME 1: UMSL 5, Maryville 3
How It Happened
- A trio of second inning home runs – all to left field – from junior
Cooper Vinz, sophomore
Tom DeCero and redshirt freshman
Derrick Freeman, jump started the Tritons to a quick 3-0 lead.
- DeCero brought in two more runs in the sixth with a double, extending the lead to 5-1.
- Maryville got on the board in the top of the third and then added two runs in the top of the seventh with no outs after putting its first four batters on base. However, junior
Alex Oltmann was brought in from relief and retired three straight to pick up his first save of the season.
- Defensively, the Tritons picked off two early Maryville runners, with senior starting pitcher
Zach Lindsay gunning out a runner at first in the second inning and a 2-4-5 pick off between senior catcher
Nick Ulrey, junior second baseman
Jacob Monti and senior third baseman
Tanner Hudson that ended the third inning after a Saints player tried to make his way from second to third base.
Statistically Speaking
- DeCero led the offense with two hits and three RBIs, while Ulrey also finished with a pair of hits.
- UMSL had eight hits and in addition to its three home runs, tallied three doubles.
- Lindsay earned his first win of the season, going six innings. He allowed all three Maryville runs on eight hits and struck out four, while walking one.
Game 2: UMSL 7, Maryville 6
How It Happened
- Maryville starter Louis Niemerg retired the first 10 UMSL batters before a one-out triple in the fourth by junior
Jake Morsch. Morsch then scored on Ulrey's RBI fielder's choice before a two-run, two-out bases loaded single from DeCero made it 3-0.
- Senior
Kevin Smith held Maryville hitless for six and two-thirds of an inning before allowing a double down the left field line that scored the Saints' first run.
- UMSL plated two runs in the seventh. Freeman tripled to bring in a run and then scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 5-1.
- A three-run homer by the Saints in the top of the eighth brought Maryville within 5-4, but a pinch hit two-run single from senior
Jake Daily pushed the lead to 7-4.
- Maryville scored two more in the ninth on four runs, including back-to-back singles to open the frame, but Oltmann, who relieved Smith in the eighth inning, worked out of the jam and left two Saints runners on base to end the game.
Statistically Speaking
- Smith went seven and two-thirds of an inning to get the win, improving to 3-1, allowing four runs on five hits. He also struck out five and walked four.
- Hudson had two hits and scored two runs as UMSL tallied eight hits.
- Oltmann recorded his second save in one and one-thirds of an inning. He gave up two runs on four hits.
Series Notes
Hudson batted .600 with nine hits, including two home runs and a double, and added eight runs scored and five RBIs… DeCero finished with six RBIs, five of which came today on five hits… Maryville out-hit UMSL, 45-36… the two teams combined for 10 home runs, with six coming from UMSL… defensively, the Tritons recorded six pickoffs.
Up Next
UMSL will host William Jewell next Saturday and Sunday in another four-game GLVC series.
