UMSL Splits with League Leading Rangers
Josh Morgan Pitches Complete Game Two-Hitter in Victory
St. Louis, Mo. – The Missouri-St. Louis baseball team split a doubleheader on Sunday with league leading Wisconsin-Parkside, losing the first game 7-2, but got an outstanding pitching performance from Josh Morgan (St. Louis, Mo./St. Mary’s) to win 3-1 in the second game.
Morgan pitched a complete game two hitter in the 3-1 victory, going 9.0 innings and allowing one run while limiting the Rangers to just two hits in the game. He retired the first eight batters before giving up the first hit with two outs in the third inning, and also gave up a single in the fourth. Morgan gave up the only run of the game in the fifth inning on an infield ground out, and retired the last 11 hitters in order for the win. Morgan needed little run support, as Jonathan Mercer (Sullivan, Mo./Sullivan) gave UMSL the early lead with a solo home run to center field in the first inning. The Rivermen added a run in fourth on an RBI single by Scott Davis (High Ridge, Mo./Northwest) to score Mercer and give UMSL the 2-0 lead. After the Rangers scored in the sixth to make it a 2-1 game, Tony Grana (Ballwin, Mo./Lafayette) belted a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth for the 3-1 victory.
In the first game, the Rangers got on the board first, with one run in the second and two runs in the top of the third to make it a 3-0 game. The Rivermen came back in the bottom of the third, as Josh Morgan hit a two-run double to make it a one-run game. Wisconsin-Parkside then extended their lead with a solo home run from Adam Brechtl in the fifth inning before adding two unearned runs in the sixth and an insurance run in the seventh for the 7-2 victory.
Jonathan
Mercer went a combined 4-for-6 on the day with three runs,
one RBI, a double and his fourth home run of the season. UMSL is now
27-20-1 on the season and 22-12 in the GLVC. The Rivermen will finish
the regular season on the road next weekend with doubleheaders on Saturday
and Sunday at Saint Joseph’s.