MONTICELLO, Ark. – After losing a heartbreaker on a walk-off grand slam in the first game, Missouri S&T's baseball team rebounded to win the nightcap and gain a split of its season opening doubleheader at Arkansas-Monticello Saturday.  The Miners took the second game 7-3 after UAM won 9-8 in the opener.

 

The Miners jumped on top in game two when Matt Kempin (Wichita, Kan./Trinity Academy) homered with one out, then Kempin extended the lead in the second with a two-run double to score Brandon Cogan (Missouri City, Texas/Hightower) and Zac Helton (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette). After the Boll Weevils cut the lead to 3-2 on a pair of solo home runs off S&T starter Nick Johnson (St. Charles, Mo./Duchesne), the Miners got a run back in the fourth when Will Morrison (Rolla, Mo./Rolla) singled home Cogan, who had walked and stole second. 

 

UAM got another solo homer to cut the lead to one, but the Miners broke the game open with three unearned runs in the sixth. With two outs, Drew Davenport (McHenry, Ill./McHenry West) reached on an error to load the bases, then Helton drew a walk – one of 10 in the game by Boll Weevil pitchers – to force in a run. Louie Joseph (Bloomington, Ill./Central Catholic) followed with a hit to the right side that scored Chris Kruppe (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) and Davenport.

 

Johnson picked up the win with four innings of work, allowing five hits and striking out three. Chris Bowe (Rolla, Mo./Rolla) and David Birkby (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway West) threw three scoreless innings of relief to preserve the win.

 

Ben Pieper (O'Fallon, Mo./St. Dominic) had three hits for the Miners and Kempin had two while driving in three runs to pace the offensive attack.

 

The Miners got off to a fast start in the opener as well, with Pieper belting a grand slam in the opening inning to give starter Andrew Page (Stoney Creek, Ont./Cardinal Newman) a four-run cushion before taking the mound. After the Boll Weevils got on the scoreboard in the third, S&T added to its lead with three runs in the top of the fourth.

 

With one out, Helton singled to chase UAM starter Tyler Walker. After Kruppe drew a two-out walk, Cogan reached on an error by the leftfielder to allow both runners to score. Kempin ripped a double to left center to give the Miners a 7-1 lead.

 

Davenport gave the Miners an 8-1 lead by doubling home Pieper in the fifth, but the Boll Weevils got closer in the fifth on a three-run homer by Blaine Ivey and in the sixth when a run scored on a wild pitch.

 

Birkby entered the game in the seventh to try to pick up a save and got two strikeouts between a leadoff single and two walks that loaded the bases. After the second walk, Tyler Henry hit a grand slam to send the Miners to the loss.

 

Page threw five innings and scattered five hits while striking out four, while seven different players had a hit for S&T in game one. The Miners finished with nine hits in the nightcap.

 

The Miners and Boll Weevils are scheduled to play another doubleheader beginning at noon Sunday afternoon.