KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After letting a lead slip out of its hands in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader at Rockhurst, Missouri S&T rebounded in game two by jumping out to an early five-run lead and holding on to gain a split and take three of four in the Great Lakes Valley Conference series.

The Hawks rallied in the bottom of the seventh of game one – after the Miners had taken the lead in the top half of the inning – for an 8-7 win before the Miners took game two by the score of 5-4.

The Miners took the lead in game two with three runs in the third, which began with a leadoff walk to Matt Reschke (Darien, IL/Hinsdale South).  Following a wild pitch, Zach Bracken (Berthoud, CO/Berthoud) singled past third to score Reschke for the first run of the contest.

Later in the inning, after Matt Knickerbocker (Bayfield, CO/Bayfield) singled with two outs, Eli Miller (Shelbyville, IL/Shelbyville) doubled into the left center gap to score both runners to give the Miners a 3-0 advantage.

S&T added to its lead in the fourth on a two-run single by Adam Richter (Breese, IL/Mater Dei) that scored Miller and Jack DeGarmo (Liberty, MO/Liberty North).

Rockhurst got on the scoreboard in the fifth when a wild pitch scored Wylson Lamb, who singled to open the inning and got its second run in the eighth on an RBI groundout off the bat of Corbin Hare.

In the ninth inning, S&T – which had to use six relievers in the game after starter Dan Borek (Greenville, WI/Hortonville) had to leave in the first when he was struck by a batted ball – went to Matt Lamb (Doniphan, NE/Grand Island) and after retiring the leadoff hitter, walked the next two and hit Seth Soto to load the bases.

Henry Weiler then hit a ball to short and the throw pulled Bracken off the bag, making it 5-3 and keeping the bases loaded with one out.  Stuart Martin (Ajax, ON/Ajax) took over on the mound and after walking Alex Van Pelt to force in another run, struck out Mitch Stickney and got Hare on a fly ball to right to close out the contest.

Bryan Nolan (Ballwin, MO/St. Louis University HS), the first of the six relievers used by S&T, was credited with the win.  Nolan helped his own cause on the hill by getting inducing two double plays during his 3 2/3 innings, including one on a comebacker to end the second after the Hawks had loaded the bases.

The Miners outhit Rockhurst 13-9 in game two, with Miller getting hits in each of his first four at-bats in the contest.

Game one saw the Miners take the initial lead, fall behind, then rally with four runs with two outs in the top of the seventh to take the lead – only to see Rockhurst score three in the bottom half to win it.

S&T grabbed the lead in the third as Richter singled with one out, stole second and scored on a double down the left fleld line by Lucas Swindle (Weldon Spring, MO/Lutheran-St. Charles).  Moments later, Swindle came home when Justus Nelson (Plymouth, MN/Robbinsdale Armstrong) singled past the third base bag to give the Miners a 2-0 lead.

Rockhurst got a run back in the bottom half of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Nic Mertes, but the Miners got that run back in the fourth as Eli Miller (Shelbyville, IL/Shelbyville) was hit by a pitch and stole second; the throw sailed into center field and the return throw to third was wild as well, allowing Miller to cross the plate.

However, the Hawks tallied three runs in their half of the fourth, starting with Brett Marr's home run to lead off the frame.  Stickney knocked in the tying run following a walk and a hit, then Rockhurst took the lead on a passed ball that allowed Van Pelt to score.

Stickney gave the Hawks an insurance run with a solo home run in the sixth, but in the Miner seventh, Miller singled to start the inning and stole second with two outs.  After fouling off a pair of two-strike pitches, Swindle belted a majestic home run to right to tie the score at five.

The Miners weren't done, however, as hits by Bracken and Nelson chased starter Joe Huber, then an error on a ball hit by Knickerbocker kept the inning alive.  Pinch-hitter Nathan Volkmann (Liberty, MO/Liberty) followed by blooping a ball down the right field line that landed fair, scoring Bracken and Nelson to give S&T a 7-5 lead.

But in the bottom of the seventh, S&T reliever Matt Lamb (Doniphan, NE/Grand Island) hit the first two batters of the inning and a third to load the bases after Bracken had made a diving catch of Marr's sacrifice bunt attempt.  Henry Weiler then dropped a single into right center to tie the game, before Van Pelt ended the game with a sacrifice fly to score Soto.

The Miners outhit the Hawks (17-16, 5-7 GLVC) 12-6 in game one, with Nelson getting three hits and Richter and Swindle getting two apiece.

Missouri S&T (15-15, 6-6 GLVC) returns to action Friday when it opens a four-game GLVC series at Truman State.