ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis baseball team rallied from a five-run deficit to walk-off Walsh 9-8 in game two of its doubleheader on Friday afternoon at CarShield Field in O'Fallon, Mo. The Tritons won the first game 19-10 to improve to 8-5 on the season while the Cavaliers drop to 0-4.
Game 1 – UMSL 19 Walsh 10
UMSL scored in every inning but the third in the first game of the afternoon. It scored three runs in the first on an RBI double from
Andrew Buescher and an RBI single from
Luke Saxton. Saxton scored the third run of the inning as a throwing error by Brandon Hire on a single from
Braedon Stoakes.
The Tritons added to their lead with five in the second highlighted by home runs from
Mitch Bonczkowski and Buescher to make it 8-0. UMSL tacked on single runs in the fourth and fifth before busting it open with four in the sixth and two in the seventh on
Barrett Rose's two-run home run to right that cleared the 42-foot-high wall for his first of the season.
An error in the eighth opened the door for Walsh and they took advantage scoring eight runs on seven hits to cut the Triton lead in half. The Tritons got three of those runs back in the home half of the inning on a home run from
Noah Tomaras and a two-run double from
Cade Grevengoed.
The Cavaliers scored twice in the ninth for the final margin.
UMSL finished with 19 hits in the opener and were led by Buescher with four while Rose added three and Grevengoed, Stoakes,
Jake Isaacs and
Dane Stevenson had two hits apiece.
Zach Haygood got the win on the mound pitching seven scoreless innings allowing four hits while striking out a season-high seven batters.
Game 2 – UMSL 9 Walsh 8
In the nightcap, each team scored a run in the first before Walsh scored five in the second highlighted by Eli Sutton's grand slam to straight away center. The Tritons got a run back in their half of the second and had a chance for more but Rose grounded into an inning ending double play.
Walsh extended its lead back to five with an unearned run in the third when Saxton couldn't knock down a ball on the infield.
UMSL cut the Cavaliers led to one scoring four times in the fifth on a solo home run from Buescher, a two-run blast from
Garrett Strenger and an RBI single from Isaacs. The Tritons had a chance to tie the game but Isaacs was thrown out at the plate trying to score on
Cooper Blythe's double off the right field wall.
Walsh scored another unearned run in the sixth to make it 8-6. Down to its final three outs in the seventh UMSL rallied. Stoakes led off the inning and was hit by a pitch. He went to second on a passed ball and stole third. Bonczkowski drew a walk to bring the winning run to the plate.
Nick Petro came on to replace Eric Bennett and was greeted by a single to right from Strenger scoring Stoakes to make it 8-7. Bonczkowski tried to go first to third on the single but was thrown out on the play.
LJ Randle ran for Strenger and advanced to second on a single to left from Stevenson. Isaacs was hit on a 2-1 pitch to load the bases. Petro then hit Blythe with the first pitch to force home Randle with the tying run. Two pitches later Rose was hit scoring Stevenson with the winning run.
The Tritons finished with 17 hits in the nightcap and were led by Isaacs with four while Blythe, Strenger and Stevenson had three hits each.
Will Johnson threw a scoreless seventh to pick up the win in relief to improve to 2-0.
UMSL and Walsh conclude their doubleheader with another doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at CarShield Field starting at noon.
