ROLLA, Mo. – Following a week of inclement weather in the Midwest, opening day for the Missouri S&T baseball team this weekend looked to be in jeopardy. But a herculean effort to clear more than an inch of snow and ice from the playing surface at the Ballpark at S&T Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning afforded the Miner faithful an opportunity for baseball between S&T and Minnesota Crookston. The Miners (1-0) scored five runs over the first three innings and rode stellar performances on the mound, defeating the Golden Eagles (3-7) by a final score of 6-2.
After a scoreless top of the first, S&T jumped out to a lead in their first at bats of the season when
Brady Voss (Lake St. Louis, MO/Liberty) singled to right to plate newcomer
Tommy Ruether (Washington, MO/Washington). Two more runs scored in the second when
Braden Mahurin (Dixon, MO/Dixon) crossed home on a wild pitch before Ruether singled home
Chase Burgess (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley West) with a ball back up the box to make it 3-0.
The big blow of the game came in the third when
Aaron Berkhoff (Colorado Springs, CO/Cheyenne Mountain) turned around a first pitch breaking ball and sent it sailing over the left field fence into traffic on Highway 63 to increase the lead to 5-0.
Starter
Dylan Mollett (St. Louis, MO/Oakville) was masterful for the first five innings of action, scattering three hits while notching nine strikeouts. UMC did get to him in the sixth inning, however, as a leadoff single was followed by a two-run homerun to make it 5-2. Mollett responded by retiring the next three Golden Eagles in order and sat down his final two batters on strikes.
S&T answered back with a run in the bottom of the innings when
Doug Wood (Liberty, MO/Liberty North) singled to left center to plate Burgess for his second run of the game to make it 6-2.
Dylan Dunbar (West Plains, MO/West Plains) took over on the bump to begin the seventh and picked up right where Mollett left off, as he faced three over the minimum as he closed out the contest, working three innings in relief to help the Miners win their season opener for the first time since 2019.
Wood led the way at the dish with a 3-5 showing and an RBI while Berkhoff delivered the big blow of the game with his two-run shot in the third. Voss and Ruether also drove in a run in the game as seven different players carded a hit in the game.
Mollett (1-0) notched the win on the bump, working six strong innings and allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out 11 without issuing a free pass. His 11 strikeouts are the most on opening day in program history since 1995. Dunbar picked up the save as he worked the final three innings of the day, allowing only two hits and striking out five while posting a clean sheet.
The series resumes Monday at the Ballpark at S&T with a doubleheader starting at 11 AM, with a seven-inning game followed by a nine-inning affair.
