UMSL Swings Past Kentucky Wesleyan

Rivermen Win 11-2, 15-4 in Conference Doubleheader

St. Louis, Mo. – The UMSL baseball team busted out the big sticks on Saturday, scoring a total of 26 runs in sweeping a doubleheader against Kentucky Wesleyan. The Rivermen won the opening game 11-2 and then won the second game 15-4.

The Rivermen grabbed the quick lead in the first game, getting three runs in the first inning and five in the second. In the first, Logan Hughes (Walnut Shade, Mo./Branson) had a two-run triple to start the scoring, and he then scored on a groundout. The Panthers got a solo run in the top of the second before UMSL plated five runs in the bottom half of the inning, all coming with two outs. The first run of the inning scored on a throwing error that would have ended the inning, and the Rivermen capitalized after that. Logan Hughes had an RBI single and brother Colby Hughes (Walnut Shade, Mo./Branson) would knock in three runs with a double to give UMSL an 8-1 lead. Kentucky Wesleyan would add a run in the third, but UMSL came right back in the fourth with two more runs on a two-run homer to right by Logan Hughes. The Rivermen would add another run in the fifth for the 11-2 win.

Brad Drewes (St. Louis, Mo.) picked up the win to improve to 3-0 on the season. Drewes got the complete game win, giving up just two runs on four hits and struck out six. Logan Hughes went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, five RBIs and narrowly missed hitting for the cycle, needing just a double to complete the cycle. Jonathan Mercer (Sullivan, Mo./Sullivan) went 3-for-4 with three runs in the game as well.

In the second game, the Panthers got the first lead of the game, scoring one run in the first inning and held that 1-0 lead until the fifth. In that fifth inning, UMSL would claim the lead with four runs in the inning and then added five more in the sixth. The Rivermen got things going in the fifth with a two-run single by Jonathan Mercer to bring home the first runs of the game and Josh Morgan (St. Louis, Mo./St. Mary’s) added an RBI double in that inning as well. In the sixth, UMSL added five runs with the big blows coming on a two-run single by Tony Grana (Ballwin, Mo./Lafayette) and an RBI single by Scott Sanders (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway North). Kentucky Wesleyan fought back with three runs in the top of the seventh to cut it to a 9-4 game, but the Rivermen bats responded once again. In the bottom of the seventh, Tony Grana hit his team leading fifth home run and Jonathan Mercer added an RBI single for two runs that inning. In the eighth, UMSL got four more runs as Tony Grana belted a two-run double and Scott Davis (High Ridge, Mo./Northwest) and Scott Sanders each had RBI hits as well.

Mike Lantzy (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway North) picked up the win for UMSL, improving to 2-0 on the season. Lantzy went 6.1 innings and gave up three runs on seven hits and struck out five. Tony Grana led UMSL from the plate, going 4-for-5 with four runs and five RBIs and Scott Sanders had four hits in the game as well, going 4-for-6.

The Rivermen are now 14-15-1 on the season and 9-7 in the GLVC. UMSL will host Kentucky Wesleyan again Sunday for another doubleheader beginning at 12 noon.