UMSL Splits Doubleheader with Hillsdale

Rivermen Bats Explode in Second Game

St. Louis, Mo. – The UMSL baseball team split a doubleheader with Hillsdale College on Sunday afternoon, dropping the first game 6-5, and then the Rivermen offense exploded in the second game for a 24-7 win.

In the opener, Hillsdale got on the board with a run in the top of the first, but UMSL answered in the second inning with two runs, including an RBI single by Tony Grana (Ballwin, Mo./Lafayette). Hillsdale would tie the game in the top of the third with a single run, and again UMSL came right back, getting a run in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single from Scott Sanders (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway North) for a 4-3 lead. The Chargers then broke through in the fifth, scoring four runs in the inning to take control of the game. UMSL would add a run in the sixth and seventh innings, but fell one run short in the 6-5 loss.

UMSL got on the board first in the second game, as Tony Grana tagged and scored from second base on a fly ball to right field for a 1-0 UMSL lead. The Rivermen added two runs in the second inning, and after Hillsdale got on the board in the top of the third, UMSL got a two-run double by Scott Sanders in the bottom of the third for a 5-1 lead after three. In the fourth, UMSL would plate fiver more runs as Josh Morgan (St. Louis, Mo./St. Mary’s) and Jonathan Mercer (Sullivan, Mo./Sullivan) each had a two-run double in the inning. After Hillsdale scored two runs in the top of the fifth to make it a 10-3 game, the Rivermen exploded in the bottom of the fifth, sending 15 batters to the plate in the inning and scoring 11 runs. UMSL had nine hits in the inning, including six doubles. UMSL would add three more in the sixth inning, including a two-run home run by Pat McNichols (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway South). Hillsdale would scramble to score four more runs in the top of the seventh inning for the 24-7 final.

Scott Sanders was one of many hot hitters for UMSL on the day. Sanders went 6-for-7 on the day, including 4-for-4 in the first game and two doubles, two runs and two RBIs in the second game. Tony Grana went 3-for-7 with five runs and three stolen bases on the day and Logan Hughes (Branson, Mo./Walnut Shade) went 4-for-9 with three runs and five RBIs on the day. Doug Wiles (Farmington, Mo./Farmington) had three hits and four runs in the second game and Josh Morgan had two hits and five RBIs in the second game as well.