ST. LOUIS, MO., March 15, 2018 – The University of Missouri-St. Louis baseball team swept Bemidji State in its home opener on Thursday, winning the opener, 13-4, before rallying for a 6-5 win in the nightcap.
 
Senior Cooper Vinz had four hits on the day and also scored four runs to lead the offense.
 
Records: UMSL (7-8), Bemidji State (2-10)
 
Game 1: UMSL 13, Bemidji State 4
The Tritons belted 12 hits and took advantage of seven Beavers errors to score 13 runs.
 
Vinz went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and two runs, while senior Jake Morsch was also 3-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored.
 
UMSL plated its first three runs in the first inning, taking advantage of three errors, while tallying just two hits. Two runs scored on errors, while freshman Josh Shoemaker added a run with his sac fly.
 
Three more runs came home in the second inning, including one on a Vinz single, as the Tritons extended their advantage to 6-0.
 
A six-hit, six-run fourth made it 12-1 as UMSL sent 11 to the plate that frame. Sophomore Jarrett O'Brien and freshman Xavier Collier each had two-run singles, while Morsch reached twice in that frame, including once on a single and once on a walk.
 
Junior Matt Graser earned the win in four and two-thirds of an inning. He scattered eight hits and allowed four runs, including two earned.
 
Game 2: UMSL 6, Bemidji State 5
The Tritons rallied for the win with six unanswered runs, including two in the bottom of the sixth. Redshirt freshman Keaton King recorded his second pinch hit single of the day and later scored on a wild pitch to tie it, while redshirt sophomore Derrick Freeman scored the winning run on senior Jacob Monti's sac fly.
 
Bemidji State scored all five of their runs in the first inning, taking advantage of three walks and an error.
 
The Tritons got two runs back in the bottom of the first on a two-out, two-run double from freshman Josh Shoemaker, while in the third, junior Tom DeCero recorded an RBI triple before scoring on a passed ball to make it 5-4.
 
Senior Alex Oltmann and junior Riley Pawelski combined for six and two-thirds scoreless work out of the bullpen. Oltmann went four and two-thirds, scattering just one hit, while striking out five and walking three, while Pawelski was credited with the win, allowing just two hits in two innings.

UMSL recorded seven hits to the Beavers' five. DeCero finished 2-for-3 at the plate, while Vinz added a hit and scored two runs.

Up Next: UMSL hosts Bellarmine on Sunday in a non-conference doubleheader at Noon.