UMSL Goes 3-1 on the Weekend as Offense Explodes

Rivermen Score 48 Run in Three Games; Barron Ties HR Record

Louisville, Ky. – The UMSL baseball team started the weekend off on a bad note, dropping a 1-0 conference game at Bellarmine. That loss woke up the UMSL bats however, as UMSL would go on to win the final three games against the Knights, scoring a combined 48 runs in those three games. UMSL won by scores of 17-3, 17-6 and 14-4.

In the opener, UMSL could not get the runs across the plate, leaving nine runners on base, including seven in scoring position, during the seven-inning game. The Knights were also held in check by UMSL starter Kevin Sahrmann, who held Bellarmine scoreless in the first five innings. In the sixth, the Knights go a lead off hit and brought that running around to score with two outs for the 1-0 win. Tony Grana was UMSL's only hot hitter in the game, going 4-for-4 will also tying the school record with three doubles in the game.

In the second game, UMSL got a complete game win from pitcher Greg Bierling, his third straight complete game for the Rivermen. Bierling went 9.0 innings, giving up three runs, one earned, and struck out seven while walking one. He brought his season total strikeout-to-walk ratio to an incredible 36 strikeouts to just three walks.

The offense got going early and often as well, scoring five runs in the third inning for an early lead. Logan Hughes had a two-run double in the inning to highlight the scoring and Bryan Weiss had an RBI single as well. UMSL then got single runs in the fourth and fifth innings on RBI singles from Jim Reiter and Scott Sanders. The Rivermen scored three more runs in the sixth, getting RBIs hits from Logan Hughes and Sanders once again. Then in the ninth, UMSL exploded for seven runs, including a grand slam homer by Mike Wulff, to cruise to the 17-3 win.

On Sunday, UMSL again kept the offense rolling, winning the nine-inning conference game 17-6 against the Knights. Jason Barron had the big game for the Rivermen, as he tied the school record with three home runs in the game, becoming just the second UMSL player ever to accomplish that feat. His first home run came in the first inning with a three-run blast as UMSL had a 4-0 lead early. Bellarmine came back and scored five runs in the bottom of the first before UMSL would tie it in the second with a single run. In the fourth, the Rivermen grabbed back the lead for good, scoring six runs in the inning. Included in that inning was Barron's second home run, this one a two-run shot, and also got RBI doubles from Tony Grana and Bryan Weiss in that inning to lead 11-5 at that points. The Knights would score a single run in the bottom of the fourth for their final run of the game. The Rivermen were far from done, scoring three runs in the seventh and ninth innings for a 17-6 win. In the ninth, Barron hit his record tying third home run of the game, this one a solo shot as he finished the game going 4-for-5 with four runs, three homers and seven RBIs.

The nightcap game on Sunday was a non-conference game, but UMSL showed no signs of slowing down, scoring 12 runs in the first three innings en route to a 14-4 win. Logan Hughes had a two-run double in the first as did Jason Barron as UMSL scored six times in the opening frame. The Rivermen added two more runs in the second and four runs in the third. In that third inning, Logan Hughes had a bases loaded, three-run double for UMSL. The Rivermen then scored single runs in the fourth and seventh innings for the win.