UMSL Wins 13-Inning Thriller

Sanders Gets Game Winning Single; Drewes Gets Win and Winning Run

St. Louis, Mo. – The UMSL baseball team held on for a 13-inning win over Kentucky Wesleyan on Sunday afternoon in the second game of the GLVC doubleheader, after the Rivermen dropped the opening game to the Panthers. UMSL lost the first game 4-2, but won the wild second game 16-15 in 13 innings.

In the bottom of the 13th inning, the Rivermen, who had used a majority of their bench by that point in the game, had pitcher Brad Drewes (St. Louis, Mo.) at the plate in his first at bat of the season. Drewes, who also picked up the win in relief, battled throughout the at bat and eventually got a single to right to lead off the inning. After a fielding error and a hit by pitch loaded the bases, Scott Sanders (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway North) ended the marathon with an RBI single down the rightfield line, scoring Drewes to give UMSL the 16-15.

The journey to the 13th inning was an up and down affair for both teams. It started in the first inning when UMSL grabbed a quick 5-0 lead with five runs in the bottom of the first. Josh Morgan (St. Louis, Mo./St. Mary’s) had a two-run triple to highlight the scoring. Kentucky Wesleyan battled right back, scoring four runs in the top of the second and tied the game at 5-5 with a single run in the top of the third inning. The Panthers then claimed their first lead of the game in the fourth with a single run in that inning to lead 6-5. KWC would add to their lead in the sixth, getting two more runs to lead 8-5 when UMSL started their first comeback of the game.

In the bottom of the sixth, UMSL benefited from KWC’s lack of control on the mound. With bases loaded, the Rivermen got three consecutive walks to tie the game at 8-8 and Josh Morgan followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home another run as UMSL led 9-8 after six innings. The Rivermen plated another run in the seventh on an RBI single by Scott Davis (High Ridge, Mo./Northwest) and led by two, 10-8, after seven innings. Kentucky Wesleyan then took control of the game in the top of the eighth, as Tyson Martin belted a two out, three-run home run and gave the lead back to the Panthers at 11-10. The Rivermen came back right away in the bottom half of the inning as Logan Hughes (Walnut Shade, Mo./Branson) got a one-out triple and later scored on a throwing error as the game was tied 11-11 after eight innings.

Kentucky Wesleyan appeared to retake control of the game in the ninth inning, scoring four runs in the top half of the inning to lead 15-11 and looked to have the game in control. The Rivermen had other ideas, and refused to fold in the bottom half of the inning. Scott Sanders started the scoring with a two-run double, and Sanders then came around to score on an RBI single by Jonathan Mercer (Sullivan, Mo./Sullivan). After Mercer stole second base with two outs, Josh Morgan then got an RBI single to right to score Mercer and tie the game yet again at 15-15 and send it into extra innings.

After three straight innings where neither team got a runner past first base, the 13th inning rolled around as darkness started to loom over the field. Kentucky Wesleyan got two straight, two-out singles in the top half of the inning. Leadoff hitter Paul Richardson then hit a deep drive to the left field, where UMSL’s Josh Morgan tracked it down near the fence and made a diving catch to end the top half of the inning and set the stage for Scott Sanders RBI, game-winning single in the bottom half of the inning and the 16-15 win.

The opening game of the day was less eventful for both teams, as Kentucky Wesleyan scored once in the second inning and added three more runs in the third. UMSL would struggle early in the game from the plate, finally breaking through and scoring in the fifth inning on an RBI single by Scott Davis. The Rivermen would add another run in the sixth on an RBI double by Logan Hughes, but the Panthers would hold on for the 4-2 win the first game.

Scott Sanders had four hits on the day for UMSL, including four RBIs in the second game. Josh Morgan also added four RBIs in the second game and Scott Davis and Logan Hughes each had three hits for the Rivermen in that game as well, as every position player who started the game for UMSL scored at least one run in the game.

The Rivermen are now 15-16-1 on the season and improve to 10-8 in the GLVC. UMSL will be at home again on Wednesday afternoon when they host SIU Edwardsville for a doubleheader beginning at 12 noon.