ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis baseball team opened Great Lakes Valley Conference play with a doubleheader sweep at Rockhurst on Friday. The Tritons won the opener 4-2 and took the nightcap 5-3.
Game 1 – UMSL 4 Rockhurst 2
UMSL (9-9, 2-0 GLVC) jumped out to an early lead with a run in the first.
Braedon Stoakes led off the game with a single through the left side of the infield, stole second and went to third on
Kameron Laskowski's ground out to second.
Brandon Olion drove in Stoakes with a sacrifice fly to left.
The Tritons added to its lead in the fourth scoring two runs on three hits. With one out, Olion singled and went to second on an error. After a strikeout,
Carson Holin was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second.
Andrew Buescher singled up the middle to drive in Olion to make it 2-0.
Mitchell Green followed with a single down the right field line scoring Holin.
The Hawks (4-13, 0-2 GLVC) cut into UMSL's lead with a run in their half of the fourth. With one out, Adonis Forte doubled to left and scored on Andrew Loeffelman's two-out single to right center.
Rockhurst added another run in the sixth. With one out, Forte doubled for the second time in the game and scored on Loeffelman's second RBI single of the contest. The Hawks had a chance to take the lead loading the bases with one out.
Ryan Berry picked up the second out of the inning with a strikeout and then
Dylan Wobbe came on in relief of Berry and struck out Landon Carr swinging to get out of the jam.
UMSL added an insurance run in the seventh. Stoakes led off the inning with a single to third, stole second, went to third on Laskowski's sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch with two out in the inning.
Rockhurst had the winning run at the plate with one out in the last half of the seventh but Wobbe got Forte to fly out to left and Malik Stevenson was thrown out at third trying to steal to end the game.
The Tritons had 10 hits in the contest and were led by Buescher with three while Stoakes and Olion had two apiece. Berry picked up his second win of the season allowing two runs on six hits with five strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched. Wobbe got the final four outs to pick up his second save of the year.
Game 2 – UMSL 5 Rockhurst 3
The Tritons scored all five of their runs in the nightcap in the first five innings.
Justin Simard drove in
Bryce Kulinski with a squeeze bunt to second.
UMSL added to its lead in the second as
Logan Mantz scored on Jake Isaac's groundout to second.
The Tritons tacked on three insurance runs in the fifth. Green led off the inning with a double to right. Isaacs was hit by a pitch to put two on with no outs. Stoakes singled to left to load the bases. With one out, Olion singled to left center bringing home Green and Isaacs. Simard drove in his second run of the contest with a single to right center.
The Hawks scored one run in the fifth and two more in the sixth to pull within a pair.
Adam Rose closed out the win setting down Rockhurst in order in the seventh for his first save of the season.
UMSL outhit the Hawks 8-6 in the nightcap and were led by Stoakes and Simard with two apiece.
Brady Krile threw the first five innings allowing a run on three hits with eight strikeouts but walked five to pick up his first win of the season and improve to 1-3.
The Tritons and Rockhurst continue their four-game series on Saturday with a single nine inning contest beginning at 1 p.m. at Loyola Park.
