ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis baseball team dropped its home opener against Saginaw Valley State 9-1 on Friday afternoon at the UMSL Baseball Field. The Tritons drop to 5-4 while the Cardinals improve to 6-2.
UMSL got on the board early manufacturing a run in the home half of the first.
Braedon Stoakes led off the inning with a bunt single back to the mound, stole second, advanced to third on
Dane Stevenson's sacrifice bunt and scored on
Zach Beatty's sacrifice fly to shallow left.
SVSU countered scoring five runs on five hits in the second. Connor McClennen drove in the first two runs with a two-out single to right center and Hayden Jatczak hit a three-run homer to left center.
The Cardinals added two more in the fourth. Brandon Scheurer lined a single off a leaping Stevenson's glove at second base into center scoring Jeff Reseigh and Colin Cornwell grounded out to second to bring home Scheurer.
The Tritons had a chance to cut the lead in half in their half of the fourth but
Andrew Buescher's deep drive to right center was caught on the warning track and
Garrett Strenger grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Saginaw tacked on single tallies in the sixth and eighth innings for the final margin.
UMSL finished the contest with seven hits and was led by Stoakes and Beatty with two apiece.
RJ Elmore got the start on the mound and gave up seven runs on 11 hits with four strikeouts in five innings pitched to fall to 1-1 on the season.
The Tritons continue their 13-game homestand on Saturday hosting Hillsdale at 1 p.m.
