ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis baseball team opened its four-game weekend series at William Jewell with an 11-7 win on Friday afternoon at Talley Stadium in Liberty, Mo. The Tritons improve to 12-10, 5-0 GLVC while the Cardinals fall to 15-8, 5-4 GLVC.
UMSL took the early lead scoring three runs on three hits in the first inning.
Mitchell Green drove in
Braedon Stoakes and
Kameron Laskowski with a two-out double to right field.
Justin Simard followed with a single up the middle bringing home Green with the third run of the inning.
WJC got a run back in its half of the first on Cole Conner's single up the middle that scored Jake Wilcox. The Cardinals had the tying runs in scoring position, but
Ryan Berry struck out Will Brant to end the inning.
The Tritons regained their three-run cushion in the second. Stoakes reached with one out on a throwing error by Jake MacDonald on a bunt and stole second. Laskowski grounded out to third as Stoakes advanced on the throw and scored on a throwing error by Kaden Owens.
The Cardinals cut UMSL's lead to 4-3 with a pair of runs in the third. Dawson Tweet led off the inning with a single, stole second and went to third on Conner's ground out to Berry. Jordan Phillips drove in Tweet with a two-out single up the middle to make it 4-2. Phillips stole second and scored on Brant's double down the left field line to make it a one-run game.
The Tritons regained its three-run advantage with a pair of unearned runs in the fifth. Laskowski reached on a throwing error by Alex Epp to lead off the inning, stole second and went to third on
Brandon Olion's groundout to first.
Andrew Buescher walked to put runners on the corner for Green. Green drove in Laskowski with a single down the left field line to make it 5-3. Later in the inning, Simard reached on a fielder's choice to short with the bases loaded to drive in Buescher.
William Jewell took the lead in the sixth scoring four runs on four hits. The Cardinals loaded the bases with no one out in the inning against Berry. A wild pitch brought home Owens with the first run. Wilcox singled back up the middle on a 2-1 offering scoring Drew Reed to make it 6-5.
Trent Anderson came in for Berry and gave up a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game and then Conner gave WJC the lead with a squeeze bunt back to Anderson.
The Tritons answered in the seventh. Olion led off the inning with a single to right and stole second. Buescher walked to put two on with no out. With one out,
Carson Holin lined a ball over the right fielder's head for a double scoring Olion to tie the game at 7. Simard drove in the go ahead run with a groundout to second that scored Buescher.
UMSL extended its lead with a run on three hits in the eighth.
Jake Isaacs led off the inning with a single through the left side of the infield, stole second and went to third on Stoakes fly out to center. Laskowski drove in Isaacs with a single to right center to make it 9-7.
The Tritons added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth. Holin led off the inning with a double to center, stole third and scored on
Logan Mantz's groundout to short. With the bases loaded and one out, Laskowski reached on a fielder's choice to second that allowed Simard to score the final run of the contest.
UMSL outhit the Cardinals 14-12 in the contest and were led by Holin and Isaacs with three hits apiece. Green and Simard drove in three runs each. Anderson picked up the win allowing no runs on one hit with three strikeouts in his two innings of work to improve to 2-0.
Dylan Wobbe retired six of the seven batters he faced in his two innings pitched to earn his fourth save of the season.
The Tritons and William Jewell continue their four-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon beginning at 2 p.m. at Talley Stadium.
