UMSL Falls to League Leading Pumas

Saint Joseph's Sweeps Doubleheader from Rivermen

St. Louis, Mo. – The Missouri-St. Louis baseball team dropped a doubleheader to conference leading Saint Joseph’s on Saturday, losing the opener 12-8 and dropping the second game 4-3 in 13 innings.

Saint Joseph’s got on the board quickly with two runs in the first inning and another run in the second for a 3-0 lead. The Rivermen would then tie the game in the third with three runs of their own. The first run scored on a double play ball to make it 3-1 and Colby Hughes (Walnut Shade, Mo./Branson) followed with an RBI double. Hughes then came around to score on a bases loaded walk to tie the game at 3-3. UMSL exploded in the fourth inning, scoring five runs to stake their claim to the lead. Josh Morgan (St. Louis, Mo./St. Mary’s) brought in the first run with an RBI triple and he scored on a sacrifice fly. Tom Anderson (Bridgeton, Mo./Hazelwood West) followed with an RBI single and Derek Becker (Prunedale, Calif./North Salinas) had an RBI double. Scott Lavelock (Pleasant Hill, Mo./Pleasant Hill) capped off the scoring with an RBI single to give the Rivermen an 8-3 lead after four innings. The Pumas chipped away at the lead, getting a single run in the fifth and two runs in the sixth to make it an 8-6 game. Saint Joseph’s then used a one-out rally in the seventh to score six runs and take the 12-6 victory. Starting pitcher Chad Sherman (Mexico, Mo./Mexico) went 5.0 innings and gave up four runs on five hits while striking out two in a no decision.

The second game was a pitcher’s dual as both starters went at least eight full innings. Saint Joseph’s again got the first lead with single runs in the first and third innings. UMSL would answer in the bottom of the third on an RBI double by Adam Whitehead (Festus, Mo./Festus), and the Rivermen would tie the score in the fifth as Mark Sanders (Creve Coeur, Mo./Parkway North) doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-2 game. The Pumas quickly regained the lead with a run in the sixth before UMSL came back to tie it again in the eighth when Tom Anderson drew a bases loaded walk that made it a 3-3 game. Neither team could muster a rally in the extra innings until the Pumas got a leadoff single in the 13th inning and later scored on a base hit to take the 4-3 win. UMSL started Mike Lantzy (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway North) went 9.0 innings and gave up just three runs, two earned, and struck out six while walking none in a no decision.

The Rivermen are now 18-31 on the season and 10-28 in the GLVC. UMSL will close out its season on Sunday afternoon when they host Saint Joseph’s for another doubleheader beginning at 12 noon.