UMSL Splits Third Straight Doubleheader

Rivermen Win Opening Game 9-7

Evansville, Ind. – The UMSL baseball team split another conference doubleheader on Wednesday, the third straight conference doubleheader the Rivermen have split. UMSL won the opening game at Southern Indiana 9-7 behind some early offense, and lost the second game 5-2.

The Rivermen offense came through early and often in the opening game, as UMSL started the game with three straight singles, the third by Jonathan Mercer (Sullivan, Mo./Sullivan) that brought home Tony Grana (Ballwin, Mo./Lafayette) with the first run of the game. Josh Morgan (St. Louis, Mo./St. Mary’s) and Colby Hughes (Walnut Shade, Mo./Branson) each had RBI singles in the inning as well as UMSL led 4-0 in the first inning. Southern Indiana came back with two runs in the second and each team plated a run in the third as UMSL led 5-3 after three. In the fourth, The Rivermen got a two-run single from Logan Hughes (Walnut Shade, Mo./Branson) and another run scoring single by Morgan. The Screaming Eagles fought right back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth. UMSL added an unearned run in the fifth, and held on from there for the 9-7 win. Jonathan Mercer had two hits and scored three runs and Josh Morgan and Colby Hughes each had two hits and two RBIs in the first game and Jonathan Pate (Wildwood, Mo./Eureka) picked up the win in relief to improve to 3-1 on the season.

In the second game, the UMSL offense had a tough time getting started as the Rivermen mustered just two hits in the first five innings and fell behind 2-0 as USI scored single runs in the first and fifth innings. UMSL would finally break through in the sixth, getting two runs with two outs to tie the game. Scott Sanders (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway North) got a two-out single and scored on an RBI double by Jonathan Mercer, who then came around to score on an RBI double by Logan Hughes to make it a 2-2 game. Southern Indiana then broke through with three big runs in the bottom of the eighth for the 5-2 win.

The Rivermen are now 11-14-1 on the season and stay at an even 6-6 in the GLVC. UMSL will have the weekend off before playing at SIU Edwardsville next week, with single games on Wednesday, March 31, and on Thursday, April 1, beginning at 2 pm each day.