ROLLA, Mo. –
Trent Green (Perryville, MO/Perryville) and two relievers held Quincy's potent offense in check Saturday afternoon as Missouri S&T took a
7-2 decision in game one of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader at the S&T Ballpark, but the Miners could only come away with a split as the Hawks hit three home runs in the nightcap in a
12-4 victory.
The Hawks took the initial lead in the opener with single runs in each of the first two innings before the Miners got on the board in the bottom half of the second.
After
Lucas Swindle (Weldon Spring, MO/Lutheran-St. Charles) tripled with one out – becoming S&T's first baserunner in the process – and
Justus Nelson (Plymouth, MN/Robbinsdale Armstrong) drew a walk, Nelson stole second and as the throw went through, Swindle broke for home and scored when the throw to second got away.
S&T took the lead an inning later, as
Matt Knickerbocker (Bayfield, CO/Bayfield) led off with a hit and
Kaleb Reid (Smithville, MO/Smithville) walked with one out before a triple by
Adam Richter (Breese, IL/Mater Dei) that sailed over the head of rightfielder J.C. DeMuri scored both runners.
The Miners added three more runs in the fourth on RBI singles by Knickerbocker and
Eli Miller (Shelbyville, IL/Shelbyville) and a wild pitch that scored Knickerbocker, then posted their seventh run in the fifth when Nelson doubled with two outs and scored on a double by
Zach Bracken (Berthoud, CO/Berthoud) after DeMuri slipped and fell in the outfield when he broke for the ball.
Green scattered seven hits and matched his career high with seven strikeouts to pick up his second win of the season in a seven-inning effort.
Stuart Martin (Ajax, ON/Ajax) threw a scoreless eighth and
Dalton Erger (Imperial, MO/Seckman) threw the ninth to preserve the win.
S&T outhit the Hawks 9-8 in game one with Nelson and Knickerbocker getting two hits apiece.
Quincy scored in the first inning of game two as well on a two-out RBI triple by DeMuri, but the Miners answered back with three in the bottom of the first. Miller led off the inning with a triple, then after Reid was hit by a pitch, Richter singled through the hole to score Miller.
Matt Reschke (Darien, IL/Hinsdale South) was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Swindle singled home Reid to put the Miners into the lead. S&T's third run of the inning scored on an RBI ground out off the bat of Nelson. The Miners scored again in the second when Richter singled home Knickerbocker, who had doubled to start the frame.
However, the Hawks scored four times in the third off S&T starter
Anthony Garza (Belleviille, IL/Belleville East) to take the lead, getting a leadoff home run from Jack Kleges and a three-run shot from DeMuri to go in front.
The Miners missed a golden opportunity to at least draw even in the fourth after getting a double from Miller and an infield single by Reid to start the inning. Reid was picked off first, then QU starter Graham Spraker retired the next two hitters to escape the jam.
Quincy then busted the game open by scoring six times in the fifth, capped by a three-run homer by Michael Nielsen as it handed S&T just its second loss at home this season.
Miller and Richter had two hits apiece for the Miners (11-13, 2-4 GLVC) in the second game as both teams finished with nine hits apiece.
Saturday's matchups marked the first meeting of the teams since they faced off in last year's NCAA Division II Midwest Regional, where S&T eliminated the Hawks (16-9, 5-1 GLVC) with a one-run victory.
The Miners and Hawks will face off in a other doubleheader Sunday starting at noon.