UMSL Sweeps All Four Games in Weekend Series

Sauget, Ill. – The UMSL baseball team swept a four-game weekend series from Wisconin-Parkside, winning close games in each matchup. UMSL won the three conference games by a combined four runs, and won the non-conference game by one run.

Friday night, UMSL won it in the ninth inning on a bases loaded walk to Nico Gregali. Tied 4-4 to going into the bottom of the ninth, Matt Tesson hit a one-out single and Eric Kuntz followed with a single to left. Cole Williams drew a walk to load the bases and Gregali brought home the winning run. UMSL got the first lead of the game with single runs in the third and fourth innings on a sacrifice fly by Matt Tesson in the third and a suicide squeeze in the fourth. Wisconsin-Parkside tied it in the sixth with two runs and UMSL scored twice more in the bottom of the sixth to keep the lead on RBI singles by Bryan Smith and Ryan Ayers. UWP tied it again with two more runs in the seventh, setting the stage for the ninth inning UMSL rally.

In Saturday’s game, UMSL trailed 1-0 before getting an RBI single from Eric Kuntz in the fourth inning to tie it at 1-1. The Rangers scored in both the fifth and sixth innings to take a 3-1 lead before UMSL made the comeback in the eighth. Steve Porter started the rally with a leadoff. Later in the inning, trailing by one with two outs and bases loaded, Nate Hartman hit a two-run single through the right side that brought home Eric Kuntz and Matt Tesson for a 4-3 UMSL lead. The Rivermen then pulled off a double steal and scored an insurance run for the 5-3 win. Mark Sanders picked up the win in relief, going 3.1 innings and giving up one run on three hits. Linds Prestia pitched a perfect ninth inning to get his first save of the season.

Matt Tesson pitched a complete game shutout in the first game on Sunday. Tesson was perfect through the first four innings before giving up a single to lead off the fifth. He went the full 7.0 innings and gave up just three hits in the game and struck out four. UMSL got the lone run of the game in the fourth inning. Ryan Davis had a leadoff single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Scott Lavelock then hit an RBI double to score Davis and give UMSL a 1-0 win.

In the final game of the weekend, UMSL won 3-2 in a non-conference matchup. The Rangers got two runs in the top of the first to grab the quick lead. The Rivermen took the lead in the third with three runs. Adam Whitehead hit a sacrifice fly to score the first run and Scott Lavelock had a two-run single to put UMSL ahead 3-2. Eric Kuntz came in to pitch and close out the game, and struck out the final two batters to pick up the save and secure the win.

UMSL will be at home on Wednesday to host Drury University for a doubleheader beginning at 5 pm. The games will be played at GCS Stadium in Sauget, Ill.