ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis baseball team won both ends of its doubleheader in walk-off fashion defeating William Jewell 5-4 in nine innings and 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at the UMSL Baseball Field. The Tritons improve to 19-13, 11-8 GLVC while the Cardinals drop to 16-13, 8-11 GLVC.
Game 1 – UMSL 5 WJC 4 (9 innings)
UMSL jumped on top with two runs in the third on
Andrew Buescher's two-out two-run single through the right side of the infield that scored
Kam Laskowski and
Dane Stevenson.
The Tritons extended their lead to 3-0 in the fifth. With two out,
Zach Beatty hit a pop up into shallow left field but the shortstop couldn't see it and the ball dropped in allowing
Barrett Rose to score from second.
William Jewell rallied in the sixth to tie the game. With one out and the bases loaded Dawson Tweet hit a sacrifice fly to left scoring Jake Wilcox with the first run. After a pitching change, two wild pitches allowed the second run to score. The tying run scored on a throwing error to first by
Jacob Arndt. Camden Dayton hit a comebacker to the mound but Arndt's throw was offline and allowed Kyle Fitzgerald to score.
UMSL retook the lead in its half of the sixth. With one out,
Jake Isaacs singled to left and stole second. With two out, Stevenson singled through the left side of the infield to bring home Isaacs with the go-ahead run.
The Cardinals tied the game in the seventh on Alex Epp's lead off home run to left. WJC got the go-ahead run in scoring position with a single and a sacrifice bunt but
Trent Anderson got back-to-back strikeouts to keep the game tied.
The Tritons had chances in the seventh and eighth innings but were unable to get the key hit. UMSL won it in the ninth.
Logan Mantz hit a jam shot into shallow center field scoring
Bryce Kulinski with the winning run.
The Tritons finished with 11 hits in the opener and were led by Stevenson, Rose and Buescher with two apiece. Anderson pitched the final three innings allowing one run on two hits with five strikeouts to pick up his second win of the season.
Game 2 – UMSL 2 WJC 1
The Cardinals started the nightcap with three consecutive hits to take a 1-0 lead on Evan Jilbert's single to center scoring Epp. WJC had a chance to add on but
Zach Haygood got a line out and ground out to short to end the frame.
UMSL loaded the bases with one out in the home half of the first but Buescher grounded into a 5-3 double play to end the threat.
The Tritons loaded the bases again in the fourth but
Justin Simard hit into a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning.
UMSL loaded the bases again in the sixth. With one out, Simard hit a fly ball into right center. The center fielder and right fielder had a miscommunication and the ball fell in allowing Buescher to score the tying run. The Tritons nearly took the lead as Stevenson lined a ball back up the middle but Epp was there to make the catch and step on second for the final out of the inning.
The Tritons won it in the bottom of the seventh. They loaded the bases with one out and scored the game-winner when Mantz delivered a single to center to bring home
Braedon Stoakes with the winning run.
UMSL outhit William Jewell 7-4 in the contest and was led by Mantz with two. After his shaky start, Haygood settled in giving up just one hit the rest of the game to pick up the complete game and improve to 4-1 on the season. He struck out three and walked one on 95 pitches.
The Tritons and Cardinals conclude their four-game series with a single game on Sunday starting at 1 p.m. at the UMSL Baseball Field.
