UMSL Bats Explode in Big Win

11th-Ranked Rivermen Beat Northern Kentucky 15-2

St. Louis, Mo. – The 11th-ranked UMSL baseball team exploded offensively, scoring early and often en route to a 15-2 win over Northern Kentucky. The win was the eighth straight for the Rivermen, who improve to 26-6 on the season and currently sit in first place in the GLVC with a conference mark of 14-3.

The Rivermen got on the board quickly, scoring four runs in both the first and third innings. In the first, Jason Barron (St. Louis, Mo./Hazelwood East) and Scott Sanders (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway North) each had two-run singles to get things going. Barron again got things going in the third with an RBI triple and then scored on an RBI single by Sanders. Scott Davis (High Ridge, Mo./Northwest) would bring up the third run of the inning and Colby Hughes (Walnut Shade, Mo./Branson) scored on a double steal to give the Rivermen an 8-0 edge after three innings.

Northern Kentucky would get on the board in the top of the fifth with two runs, but UMSL answered that challenge with two of their own in the bottom half of the inning, the second of those coming on a two-out, RBI single by Doug Wiles (Farmington, Mo./Farmington). Scott Sanders would then knock in his fourth run of the game in the sixth, scoring Jim Reiter (Troy, Mo./Troy Buchanan) who led off the inning with a base hit, giving the Rivermen a commanding 11-2 lead. The Rivermen then added two runs in both the seventh and eighth innings for the 15-2 final.

The offensive support was more than enough for UMSL starter Bobby Tiefenauer (Desloge, Mo./St. Francois County), who picked up the win after going 8.0 innings and giving up just two runs, one earned, on seven hits while striking out four and walking none. Tiefenauer established himself early in each inning, allowing the leadoff hitter to reach base just once in his eight innings of work, and he retired the first two hitters he faced in every inning but two while improving his record to 4-0 on the year.

UMSL is now 26-6 on the season and have won each of their last eight games. The Rivermen are also 14-3 in the GLVC and hold a four-game lead over the second place team in the loss column. UMSL will be in action again on Monday as the Rivermen travel to play a single game at Lincoln, and the will host the Blue Tigers for a single game on Wednesday beginning at 3 pm.