Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T got its baseball season started on a high note Saturday, getting a three-hit shutout from Zack Gronek (St. Charles, Mo./Francis Howell) in a 6-0 opening game victory over Truman State at the S&T Baseball Field, then winning the nightcap 11-4 with the help of a six-run outburst in the seventh inning.

In the opener, the Miners gave Gronek all the runs he needed in the opening inning, as after the first two batters were retired, Will Morrison (Rolla, Mo./Rolla) singled to the opposite field, Lee Voth-Gaeddert (Hesston, Kan./Hesston HS) was hit by a pitch and Josh Caffrey (Burlington, Iowa/Burlington HS) drilled a double into the gap to score both runners.

S&T would add four more in the fourth, highlighted by a two-run triple off the bat of Jake Brower (Wentzville, Mo./Timberland) that increased the lead to 4-0.  The Miners got their additional runs in the inning when Brower scored on a fielder's choice and Eric Van Dyke (Longmont, Colo./Silver Creek) delivered a sacrifice fly.

In the meantime, Gronek rolled through the Truman lineup for the better part of his complete game performance, allowing only a hit in the third and back-to-back hits to start the fifth.  But after giving up those hits in the fifth, he started a double play when he caught Tim Lee's bunt out of the air and threw to first to retire the second runner.

Gronek finished the game with eight strikeouts.  The Miners had seven hits on their own part, two coming from Will Morrison (Rolla, Mo./Rolla) in his first game with the Miners since May 2010 as he missed all of last year with an injury.

In the nightcap, the Miners spotted the Bulldogs a run in the top of the first, then took advantage of some sloppy play by Truman to take the lead after four innings.

S&T knotted the score in the second as Lee Voth-Gaeddert (Hesston, Kan./Hesston HS) was hit by a pitch to open the frame.  He proceeded to steal second, move to third on a ground out and scored on Michael Lockett (O'Fallon, Mo./Timberland)'s infield hit, as Truman pitcher Jarrett Eiskina was late to cover first to allow Lockett to reach.

The Miners took the lead in the fourth when Andy Hall (Rolla, Mo./Rolla HS) singled and went to third on a hit by Lockett, then on a short fly ball hit by Ian Smith (Wichita, Kan./Wichita Independent), the Bulldogs threw home and Lockett took off for second as the throw went through.  Catcher Pete Jurich's throw to second, however, caromed off Lockett's shoulder and into the outfield, allowing Hall to score on the error.

Voth-Gaeddert added to the lead with an RBI single in the fifth, then after the Bulldogs cut the lead to 3-2 in the seventh, the Miners broke loose thanks in part to more misplays in the field by the Bulldogs.

After Reed Brown (Rogers, Ark./Heritage) drew a four-pitch walk to open the inning and Brower, who came in to pinch-run for Brown, was bunted to second, Clint Wobbe (St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis University HS) reached when his batted ball went through the legs of the third baseman.  On the play, the throw back into the infield was errant, allowing Wobbe to advance to second.  Morrison was then hit by a pitch and Voth-Gaeddert hit a smash off the glove of the pitcher to score Brower.

Following a pitching change, Caffrey hit a ball between the plate and the pitcher, but the throw home to cut down the runner at the plate was wild to allow both Wobbe and Morrison to score.  Hall followed with a sacrifice fly and Lockett would score Caffrey with an RBI double into the left field corner.  Lockett would later score on a hit by Smith.

S&T would add two more runs in the eighth on an RBI double by Voth-Gaeddert and a run-scoring ground ball off the bat of Caffrey.

The Miners outhit the Bulldogs 10-8 in a nightcap that saw the teams combine for nine errors.  Only eight of the 15 runs scored in the game were earned.  Voth-Gaeddert had three hits and three runs batted in, while Lockett also had three hits and drove in two.

John Auble (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South), the first of four pitchers employed by the Miners in the second game, allowed three hits and struck out six over the first five innings to pick up the victory on the mound.

S&T will face Truman State in another doubleheader Sunday beginning at noon.