ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis baseball team defeated Minnesota-Crookston 4-2 in its home opener on Friday afternoon at the UMSL Baseball Field. The Tritons improve to 3-6 while the Golden Eagles drop to 1-4.

UMSL got on the board first as the bottom of its order produced two runs on three hits in the third inning. Justin Simard led off the inning with a bloop single to second, advanced to second on Logan Mantz's single to center and then both runners advanced on Jordan Aguallo's bunt single up the third base line loading the baes with no outs.

Simard scored the first run of the game as Jake Dykhoff uncorked a wild pitch with Braedon Stoakes batting. With one out, Brandon Olion brought home Mantz with a groundout to second for the second run of the inning.

The Tritons tacked onto their lead in the fourth. With two out, Carson Holin doubled down the right field line, stole third and scored on Simard's infield single on a slow roller up the third base line.

Minnesota Crookston got on the one board with one out in the sixth. Matt Nunn and Caden Headlee led off the inning with singles and then with one out Mike Hallquist ripped a double down the left field line to drive in Nunn. Dylan Wobbe came out of the pen to relieve Cody Brooks and stuck out Jack Hjelle and got Teddy Giefer to ground out to short to get out of the inning.

UMSL added an insurance run in the seventh. Simard led off the inning with a single through the right side of the infield. With one out, he stole second and scored on Aguallo's double down the left field line to make it 4-1.

The Golden Eagles cut the Triton lead in half in the eighth. Wobbe hit Nunn with a pitch to start the inning but retired the next two hitters. Hallquist singled to left to put runners on the corner which brought the tying run to the plate. Brady Krile came on for Wobbe and gave up a double off the base of the wall in left to Hjelle putting the tying run in scoring position. Krile got out of the jam getting Giefer to fly out to Olion in left center for the final out of the inning.

Krile retired UMC in order in the ninth to notch his second save of the season.

The bottom of the Tritons order went 6-for-9 at the plate with three runs scored and two RBIs. Simard had three hits in the contest while Aguallo added two more. Brooks picked up his first win of the season allowing one run on four hits with four strikeouts and four walks in 5.1 innings pitched.

The Golden Eagles and UMSL continue their four-game series on Saturday with two seven inning contests beginning at noon at the UMSL Baseball Field.