ST. LOUIS – A day after setting a new single season home run record, University of Missouri-St. Louis redshirt-senior first baseman Mitch Bonczkowski set the career home run record with his two-run home run in the sixth inning in game one of Saturday's doubleheader against McKendree at the UMSL Baseball Field. The Bearcats (15-22, 7-12 GLVC) swept the two games winning 10-4 and 4-1, while the Tritons are now 19-17, 13-6 GLVC.

Game 1 – McKendree 10 UMSL 4
McKendree jumped to an early lead scoring three runs on two hits and two UMSL errors in the top of the second inning. Hunter Sherman and Sage McMinn executed a double steal and a throwing error by catcher Noah Tomaras allowed McMinn to score. Later in the inning, a throwing error by Justin Simard allowed Sherman and Tyler Butash to score.

The Tritons got a run back in their half of the second. With two out, Luke Saxton doubled down the left field line and scored on Cade Grevengoed's triple to center.

The Bearcats extended their lead with three in the fourth. Peyton Bittle drew a walk with the bases loaded to make it 4-1. Gabe Deaver grounded out to second to bring home Butash and Max Meuli hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring home Gavin Arseneau.

McKendree got two more in the fifth as it pulled off another double steal with Quest Hull stealing second and McMinn stole home. Arsenau added an RBI single scoring Hull with the Bearcats eighth run of the contest.

UMSL got a run in the fifth on Tomaras' first home run of the season to make it 8-2 and then in the sixth, Bonczkowski launched a fly ball to left field that left the yard for his 17th home run of the season and 26th of his career to pass former teammate Andrew Buescher for the top spot all-time.

The Bearcats tacked on a couple of insurance runs in the seventh getting an RBI double from Deaver and an RBI single from Meuli for the final margin.

The Tritons were held to seven hits in the contest and were led by Saxton and Grevengoed with two apiece while Bonczkowski, Tomaras and Justin Terhaar had one hit each. Eli Cartwright took the loss allowing six runs, four earned, on four hits with five walks and four strikeouts to fall to 6-2 on the season.
Game 2 – McKendree 4 UMSL 1
McKendree carried the game one momentum into the second game scoring two runs on two hits in the top of the first. Bittle led off with a walk and scored on Deaver's double to left center. With two out, McMinn hit a single to center scoring Deaver.

UMSL threatened in the home half of the first but wouldn't score leaving two on base.

The Bearcats got RBI singles from Kyle Richardson in the sixth and Javy Garcia in the seventh to extend its lead to 4-0.

Saxton broke up the shut out hitting a home run to left field for his first of the season but it wouldn't be enough as Josh Dima held UMSL to two hits while striking out 10 in the contest.

Terhaar and Saxton had the hits for the Tritons in game two. Bryce Nicolay went the distance giving up four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts against two walks to fall to 3-5 on the year.

UMSL and McKendree conclude their four-game series with a single game on Sunday at 12 p.m. at the UMSL Baseball Field.