ST. LOUIS, MO. – The University of Missouri-St. Louis baseball team opened its final Great Lakes Valley Conference series of the season on Friday with two losses to Rockhurst. The Hawks edged the Tritons, 4-2, in the opener, before pulling out a 7-6 eight-inning game two win.
 
The two teams will wrap up their seasons tomorrow with another twinbill slated for a Noon start. Prior to the contest, UMSL will honor its graduating players including Jacob Monti, Jake Morsch, Cooper Vinz, Cole McDonald, Michael Bibbs, Kevin Smith, Alex Oltmann and Jim Brandt.
 
Records: UMSL (19-29, 10-16 GLVC), Rockhurst (20-27, 10-16 GLVC)
 
Game 1: Rockhurst 4, UMSL 2
A two-run, two-out double in the top of the fifth drove in the eventual game-winning runs, breaking a 2-2 tie.
 
UMSL knotted the score in the fourth on junior Xavier Collier's RBI single.
 
Rockhurst had taken a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth, erasing the Tritons' 1-0 lead, which came on a run scored by freshman AJ Davis on a wild pitch in the second inning.
 
Both teams recorded seven hits in the game that took just two hours and 15 minutes to play with both pitchers throwing a complete nine-inning game.
 
Graduate student Kevin Smith went the distance for UMSL in his final collegiate start. He struck out four, giving him 172 for his career, which puts him fourth on the all-time career charts.
 
Senior Jake Morsch reached base twice, including once on a single and once on a walk.
 
Game 2: Rockhurst 7, UMSL 6 (8 inn.)
In a see-saw final two three innings, the Hawks were able to capitalize on a Triton error to score the winning run in the top of the eighth. The final three Rockhurst runs in the game were all unearned.
 
UMSL used two hits and took advantage of two walks in the sixth to score two runs to take a 4-2 lead. Freshman John Hilpert reached on a fielder's choice that allowed redshirt sophomore Derrick Freeman to score, while freshman Josh Shoemaker evened the score by coming home on a wild pitch as Morsch was walked.
 
The Hawks then plated four runs on three hits and one UMSL error in the top of the seventh for a 6-4 lead before Freeman's two-out, two-run long ball in the bottom half of the frame sent the game to an extra inning. The homer was Freeman's team co-leading fourth of the season.
 
UMSL out-hit Rockhurst, 11-10, while both teams left 10 runners on base.
 
Senior Jacob Monti went 4-for-4 at the plate, stole a base and scored two runs, while Freeman finished with two hits, two RBI and two runs scored.