ROLLA, Mo. – The sun was shining, the skies were clear, the weather was warm and the bats were hot Sunday at the Ballpark at S&T for the final two games of the split-site four-game set between Missouri S&T and Southwest Baptist. The Miners (7-6) scored in bunches in both games of Sunday's twinbill, and outscored the Bearcats (3-12) 25-9 over the course of the 14 innings of action, winning by scores of 11-5 and 14-4.
Game one saw the Miners hang up five runs in the first inning and never look back. Things got going when
Tommy Ruether (Washington, MO/Washington) and
Doug Wood (Liberty, MO/Liberty North) reached with one out before
Garrett Weiner (Alton, IL/Marquette) singled home the former for the first run of the day. Wood and Weiner would advance around the bases on a series of wild pitches, with Wood crossing home before
Braden Mahurin (Dixon, MO/Dixon) singled to right field to plate Weiner and make it a 3-0 game.
Andrew Branson (St. James, MO/St. James) followed with a triple into the left field corner to score Mahurin before scoring on a
Brady Voss (Lake St. Louis, MO/Liberty) groundout to make it 5-0.
Following a 1-2-3 second from
Dylan Mollett (St. Louis, MO/Oakville), the Miners scored again in their half of the inning when Ruther plated
Dakota Sill (Lansing, KS/Lansing) on a one-out single back up the middle to make it a 6-0.
Following a scoreless third inning, SBU got on the board in the fourth with a pair of homeruns of the solo and two-run variety to make it a 6-3. Two more runs scored in the fifth inning on a two-out single to left field of off reliever
Chasen Anderson (Moscow Mills, MO/Troy Buchanan) and made it a one-run game at 6-5 as things seemed to hang in the balance.
S&T responded with another five-spot in the bottom of the inning to remain out front by a comfortable margin. Wood left the yard to left center with one out before S&T loaded the bases on a walk by Weiner, intentional walk to Branson and hit by pitch from Voss for
Aaron Berkhoff (Colorado Springs, CO/Cheyenne Mountain), who delivered a two-run single to left center to make it 9-5. After stealing second, Berkhoff and Voss scored on a two-run single from
Chase Burgess (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley West) to make it an 11-5 game.
Anderson worked a clean final two innings to finish off his three innings out of the bullpen to pick up second save of the year.
Dylan Mollett (St. Louis, MO/Oakville) (2-0) picked up the win, allowing three runs on five hits in his four innings while striking out seven.
Wood and Branson each recorded two hits in the game while driving in a run, with Berkhoff and Burgess each driving in two. Eight different players recorded a hit, scored a run and drove in a run in the game for S&T.
In game two it was SBU who scored first, taking the first pitch of the game deep for the early 1-0 lead that was erased in the bottom of the inning by another five-run outburst from S&T. After Sill and Ruether reached to begin the game, Branson laid down a bunt to third and beat out the throw, which sailed wide of first base and allowed both runners to score and saw Branson end up on third when the dust settled. Weiner singled back up the box to score Branson and chase the SBU starter before he was able to record an out.
Cole Hampton (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) was hit by a pitch by the new arm and both he and Weiner advanced on a sac bunt from Berkhoff before scoring on a two-run single from Voss to make it a 5-1.
S&T scored single runs in the second and third innings to extend their lead to 7-1. In the second, Sill scored on a wild pitch after reaching on an error and in the third, Voss belted a one-out solo shot to left center for his first home run of the season to make it a six-run game.
The Bearcats got one back in the fourth inning on another solo home run to make it 7-2, but again the Miners scored a single run in the bottom of the inning, as Sill again scored on a wild pitch following a double and stolen base to make it 8-2.
SBU plated a pair in the fifth, scoring on an error on what looked like a routine double play ball before a sac fly made it a four-run game at 8-4.
After a scoreless bottom of the fifth, the Miners erupted one final time, hanging up six runs in the sixth to put the game all but out of reach.
Logan Alexander (Olathe, KS/Olathe Northwest) reached on an error to lead the inning off and advanced to second where he was lifted for a pinch runner in Burgess. Sill and Ruther both reached to load the bases before Branson singled to left to plate a pair and bring about another pitching change. Following a sacrifice bunt from Weiner, Hampton lined one to left center to score two more before Wood belted a two-run bomb to left center for his first of the season to make it 14-4.
Elijah Gross (Lee's Summit, MO/Lee's Summit West), the fourth pitcher of the game used by the Miners, closed things out in the seventh to wrap up the series sweep.
Matt Ellingson (Lenexa, KS/Olathe Northwest) (1-0) earned the win in relief, working an inning and a third and allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits.
Ethan Morrow (Lenexa, KS/Shawnee Mission West) went 3 2/3 innings in his start, and surrendered two runs on five hits while striking out five against two walks.
Dylan Dunbar (West Plains, MO/West Plains), the third pitcher of the game for S&T, worked a scoreless inning with a strikeout to his credit.
At the plate, Branson and Voss each with 3-4 with the former driving in two and scoring twice and the latter driving in three with one run scored. Ruther and Weiner both turned in two-hit outings as seven different players hit safely for S&T in the game and five drove in runs.
Branson and Wood each went 2-4 with an RBI and two runs scored in the game, while Berkhoff and Burgess both posted 1-3 days with two RBI each.
Up next for S&T, they will be at home again next weekend when they host Missouri-St. Louis in a four game series starting Friday at the Ballpark at S&T.
