ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis baseball team got strong pitching and timely hitting to defeat McKendree 10-4 in the series opener at the UMSL Baseball Field on Friday afternoon. The Tritons improve to 19-15, 13-4 GLVC while the Bearcats fall to 13-22, 5-12 GLVC.

McKendree jumped out to the early lead with a run three batters into the game. Peyton Bittle led off with a single to left and advanced to second on a pitch in the dirt. He went to third on a ground out to second and scored on Max Meuli's groundout to first.

UMSL rallied in the second scoring three runs on four hits and an error. Garrett Strenger got the rally started with an infield single to third and advanced to second on a throwing error by Meuli. After a strike out, Justin Simard shot one through the hole on the right side of the infield for an RBI single scoring Strenger with the tying run. The Tritons executed a successful hit and run as LJ Randle lined a single to left and Simard went first to third on the play. Justin Terhaar followed with a two-run single to right to put UMSL in front.

The Tritons added another run in the fifth on an RBI single from Terhaar to extend the lead to 4-1.

The Bearcats got a two-run home run from Sage McMinn in the sixth to cut the lead to 4-3 but UMSL responded in its half of the sixth scoring three runs on four hits and an error to grab a 7-3 advantage.

Strenger, Simard and Cade Grevengoed each had RBI doubles in the frame.

The Tritons added two more in the seventh on an RBI single from Luke Saxton and then Strenger drove in his second with a double to right that eluded McMinn.

McKendrree loaded the bases with nobody out in the eighth but settled for one on a sacrifice fly to right from Quest Hull scoring Meuli from third.
Bonczkowksi gave UMSL its sixth run lead back hitting his 16th home run of the season to right center. His home run set a new single season record and tied him with Andrew Buescher for the career mark at 25. Bonczkowski is tied for third in Division II in home runs this season.

That was all the run support that Brandon Johnson needed as he a struck out a season-high seven batters and threw a season-high seven innings to pick up his first win of the season and improve to 1-2. Dustin Hagens gave up a run in the eighth and Trey Schneider worked a scoreless ninth to secure the victory.

The Tritons finished with 16 hits in the contest and were led by Bonczkowski and Strenger with three each while Terhaar, Saxton and Simard added two apiece.

UMSL continues its four-game series against the Bearcats on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at noon at the UMSL Baseball Field.