KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Missouri S&T helped its cause to earn a spot in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader from Rockhurst University by scores of 4-2 and 6-4 to move back into one of the eight playoff spots.

The Miners entered the day one-half game out a playoff spot, but their sweep coupled with Drury's split with William Jewell and Quincy's sweep of Missouri-St. Louis put the Miners into fourth place in the GLVC West Division and in possession of the first wildcard spot.

S&T will head into Sunday's noon twinbill at Rockhurst looking to hold off Drury and UMSL – the only teams in contention with the Miners themselves for a playoff spot – to clinch their trip to Westfield, Ind., next weekend.

On Saturday, the Miners jumped on the Hawks at the outset of game one, as the first four S&T hitters all reached base and went on to score. 

Tyler Bodenstab (Independence, Mo./Truman) led the inning off with a hit, before Tyler Johnson (Union, Mo./Union) was hit by a pitch and Trevor Karbowski (Standish, Mich./Sterling Central) singled to load the bases.  Lance Portwood (Edmond, Okla./Edmond Santa Fe) followed with a hit into center that scored the first two runners, then after a double steal, back-to-back sacrifice flies by Reed Brown (Rogers, Ark./Heritage) and Nick Ulrich (St. Louis, Mo./Vianney) gave S&T its 4-0 advantage.

The Miner offense was essentially held in check after the first by Hawk starter Andrew Ellwanger, as they only had good scoring threats in two other innings.  One was in the third when Johnson ended up at third after an error, but he was caught in a rundown on a contact play that followed and was tagged out.

S&T had another good chance in the seventh when Karbowski singled with two outs, but the Hawks threw Lucas Swindle (Weldon Spring, Mo./Lutheran-St. Charles) out at the plate to end that inning.

The Hawks got on the scoreboard in the fourth when Brett Marr, who had a leadoff single, scored on the third double play turned by S&T in the first four innings.  Rockhurst put together another threat in the seventh when its first two runners reached, but Aaron Bedsworth (New Bloomfield, Mo./New Bloomfield) pitched out of the inning with two strikeouts along the way.

Bedsworth threw a complete game in the nine-inning contest, but not without a few tense moments in the ninth when the Hawks got three straight two-out hits to draw to within two.  However, he got David Stober on a pop fly to second to end the contest.

Bodenstab and Portwood had two hits apiece for the Miners, who were outhit 9-8 in the game.

S&T scored in the opening inning of game two as well, as Bodenstab singled, was bunted ahead by Johnson and came in to score on an RBI double by Karbowski.

After Rockhurst tied the game in the second, the Miners broke loose for three in the third – a rally that started with two outs -- to take the lead for good.

Johnson and Karbowski drew walks after the first two hitters were retired, then Portwood doubled into the gap in right center to bring home both runners.  Brown followed with a single through the hole to score Portwood to put the Miners up 4-1.

Rockhurst scored an unearned run in the fourth, but the Miners got that run right back in the fifth in the unearned variety.

Following a leadoff hit by Bodenstab and an error on a sacrifice bunt by Johnson, Karbowski hit a ball back to the mound.  The throw to third by pitcher Grant Otte retired Bodenstab, but the throw back across to attempt to complete the double play was wild, putting the runners on second and third.  Brown then drove in Johnson with a single past the shortstop.

S&T added to its lead in the sixth on an RBI single by Bodenstab, before the Hawks tried to pull off a late inning rally.  Rockhurst (19-29, 10-22 GLVC) scored in the sixth on an RBI hit by Jake Jones and another in the seventh after a fielding error, but Brown stranded the tying runs on base by getting Colin McCourt to ground back to him to end it.

Bodenstab and Brown had three hits each for S&T (25-22, 19-15 GLVC) as the Miners were outhit in the nightcap as well by a 10-8 margin.  Brown also drove in two runs as did Portwood.  Micah Dohlen (Kent, Wash./Kent Lake), who pitched the first five innings for S&T, was credited with the win.