UMSL Sweeps Lewis in Conference Openers

Rivermen Get Two Complete Games from Starting Pitchers

St. Louis, Mo. – The Missouri-St. Louis baseball team opened up the conference season with a doubleheader sweep of Lewis University (2-12, 0-2 GLVC), winning the opening game 8-2 and finishing it off with an 8-3 win in the second game. UMSL (10-3, 2-0 GLVC) got great pitching on the day, with complete game victories by Steven McCoy (Potosi, Mo./Potosi) and Mike Lantzy (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway North).

The Rivermen jumped out to a quick lead in the opener, scoring four runs in the first inning and three more in the second. Jonathan Pate (Wildwood, Mo./Eureka) got the scoring started with a two-run single in the first, and Derek Becker (Prunedale, Calif./North Salinas) had an RBI single in the opening frame. Pate added to UMSL’s lead again in the second with another two-run single and Mark Sanders (Creve Coeur, Mo./Parkway North) had an RBI single in the second as well. UMSL got another run in the third when Josh Morgan (St. Louis, Mo./St. Mary’s) led off the inning with a solo homer to dead center field for an 8-0 led. UMSL starter Steven McCoy was on cruise control through much of the game, holding Lewis scoreless through six innings before giving up two unearned runs in the seventh in the 8-2 win. McCoy still got the complete game win to improve to 3-0 on the season, giving up just two runs on five hits and struck out five.

The second game saw Lewis grab the quick lead, scoring three runs in the first inning off UMSL starter Mike Lantzy (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway North). The Rivermen bats took a while to get going, but got fired up in the fifth inning with three runs to tie the game. Matt Rose (St. Charles, Mo./Francis Howell North) had an RBI single and Colby Hughes (Walnut Shade, Mo./Branson) tied it up with a sacrifice fly. UMSL took the lead in the sixth inning as Derek Becker reached on a base hit and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Scott Lavelock (Pleasant Hill, Mo./Pleasant Hill). The Rivermen added to their lead in the seventh with four more runs. Colby Hughes had an RBI single and Mark Sanders had a two-run single in the inning to lead UMSL to the 8-3 win. Mike Lantzy picked up the complete game win, going 9.0 innings and gave up three runs on 11 hits and struck out eight while improving to 3-1 on the year.

Josh Morgan and Jonathan Pate each had three hits in the first game, as Morgan scored three runs and Pate knocked in four RBI. Mark Sanders also had a big day at the plate, going 4-for-8 on the day with three RBI. The UMSL pitchers, Steven McCoy and Mike Lantzy, each picked up a complete game win as each earned his third victory of the season.

UMSL will host Lewis for another doubleheader on Sunday afternoon, beginning at 12 noon.