ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis baseball team split its doubleheader against Missouri S&T winning game one 7-2 but dropped the nightcap 5-4 on Friday at the UMSL Baseball Field.
The Tritons are now 30-19, 21-14 while the Miners move to 26-22, 16-18 GLVC. The 30 wins are the most wins in a season for an UMSL baseball team since 2012 when the Tritons went 32-21.
Game 1 – UMSL 7 S&T 2
S&T got back-to-back hits to start the game as Jack Bell singled to third and Kenneth Sugi doubled down the right field line. After a strikeout, Tyler Prince hit a sacrifice fly to center scoring Bell.
UMSL tied the game in the home half of the first.
Jake Isaacs led off with a single to center, stole second, went to third on a groundout to first and scored on
Andrew Buescher's groundout to short.
The Tritons sent nine batters to the plate in the third inning scoring four runs on five hits. Buescher drove in Isaacs and
Barrett Rose with a double to right center. With one out and the bases loaded,
Justin Simard grounded out to the pitcher scoring
Bryce Kulinski. The final run of the frame scored on
Logan Mantz's single to right field.
UMSL extended its lead without a hit in the fourth. Isaacs led off the inning with a walk, stole second, went to third on a sacrifice bunt to first and scored on Buescher's sacrifice fly to center.
The Miners got a run back in the sixth on Nick Krodinger's groundout to third that scored Prince.
The Tritons regained its five-run lead in the bottom of the inning as Mantz scored on an error by Sugi in right on
Kameron Laskowski's single.
UMSL had nine hits in the contest and was led by Mantz with three while Isaacs added two.
RJ Elmore improved to 4-3 tossing six innings giving up two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.
Game 2 – S&T 5 UMSL 4
S&T jumped out to the early lead with two runs in the top of the first of the nightcap. Bell scored on Matt Souza's fielder's choice to short with the bases loaded. Krodinger made it 2-0 with a single to left.
The Miners added single tallies in the fourth and fifth innings. Andrew Hedgecorth singled down the left field line to bring home Tommy Ruether in the fourth and Ruether brought home Prince with a single in the fifth.
The Tritons were held hitless until two outs in the third when Isaacs reached on a bunt single up the first base line.
UMSL got on the board in the fifth as
Mitchell Green led off the inning with a solo home run to left center. The Tritons capitalized on three S&T errors in the inning to pull within 4-2. UMSL had a chance to take the lead but left the bases loaded.
The Miners extended its lead to 5-2 in the sixth as Hedgecorth scored on a throwing error by
Brady Krile on a pickoff attempt at first.
The Tritons rally in the seventh started with back-to-back walks to Laskowski and
Logan McIntyre. After the next two hitters were retired
Cameron Hailstone singled to left center scoring Laskowski to make to 5-3. Two straight wild pitches brought home
Cooper Blythe and put the tying run on third. Buescher was intentionally walked to put the winning run aboard. Mantz struck out on a 3-2 pitch to end the game.
UMSL was held to four hits in the nightcap with Kulinski, Hailstone, Green and Isaacs recording one each.
Garrett Brunstetter took the loss on the mound giving up three runs on four hits with five strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched to fall to 3-4 on the season.
The Tritons and Miners conclude their four-game series with a single game on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. UMSL will honor its nine seniors prior to the start of the game at 10:20 a.m.
