CLAREMORE, Okla. – The University of Missouri-St. Louis baseball team dropped a pair of pitcher's duels against Rogers State 2-1 in 10 innings and 4-1 on Friday at the RCB Bank Sports Complex in Claremore, Okla. The Tritons fall to 2-5 while the Hillcats improve to 6-1.
Game 1 – RSU 2 UMSL 1, 10 innings
The opening game of Friday's twin bill was scoreless through the first six innings as UMSL's
Bryce Nicolay and RSU's Zach Horwith matched zeroes. Nicolay allowed only two hits with seven strikeouts while Horwith gave up one hit and punched out five.
The Tritons broke the scoreless deadlock in the seventh on
Cade Grevengoed's RBI single to center scoring
Mitch Bonczkowski.
The Hillcats tied it in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single down the right field line off the bat of Jake Mitchell that brought home Jordan Tucker.
Neither side scored in the eighth or ninth as the game went to extra innings.
Mitch Schleeper retired the first two RSU hitters but a walk and a wild pitch put the winning run in scoring position. Sammy Harris ended the game with a walk-off single through the left side of the infield to bring home Tyler Nelson with the winning run.
UMSL had five hits in the contest and was led by Bonczkowski with three. Schleeper pitched the final 2.2 giving up a run on one hit with two strikeouts.
Game 2 – RSU 4 UMSL 1
In the second game of the day, the Tritons scored first without the benefit of a hit as
Owen Faith brought home
Cooper Blythe with a squeeze bunt in the top of the first.
The Hillcats put together a two out rally in the second to take the lead. Back-to-back walks brought Gavin Gamino to the plate. Gamino singled to left scoring Mitchell from second and a throwing error by
Noah Tomaras allowed Zak Nelson to score the go-ahead run.
RSU tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh on a two-run double to right center off the bat of T. Nelson to make it 4-1.
UMSL was limited to two hits in the nightcap with
Justin Terhaar and
Justin Simard recording one each.
Eli Cartwright pitched the first four innings giving up two runs, one earned on two hits but walked five and struck out four.
After a day off on Saturday, the Tritons and Hillcats will conclude their three-game series with a single game on Sunday starting at 1 p.m.
