OZARK, Mo. – After opening the 2022 season at home at the beginning of the week, the Missouri S&T baseball team was on the road for the first time in the new campaign Friday when they took the turf at the U.S. Baseball Park in Ozark to take on Drury. The Miners (3-3) used an offensive outburst and strong pitching in game one to pick up the 9-3 win, but the Panthers (11-1) hung a crooked number up midway through the nightcap to split the first day of the series with a 14-6 win.
After a scoreless first inning from both sides,
Garrett Weiner (Alton, IL/Marquette) got the Miners going with a leadoff double in the second inning and advanced to third on an error by the shortstop. He was replaced on the bases by
Tate Morrell (Lloydminster, AB/) two batters later after doubled to right for the first run of the game. After a flyout and hit by pitch put two men on with two away,
Aaron Berkhoff (Colorado Springs, CO/Cheyenne Mountain) continued his hot hitting, staying in the yard this time but still putting a ball in play to drive in a run and make it 2-0.
Tommy Ruether (Washington, MO/Washington) followed up with a two-run double to make it a 4-0 game going to the bottom of the inning.
After a 1-2-3 frame by starter
Kyle Athmer (Breese, IL/Breese Central Community), the Miners kept up the pressure in the third, as with one out, Weiner hit his second homerun in as many game out to left to make it 5-0.
Brady Voss (Lake St. Louis, MO/Liberty) followed with a single and stolen base before scoring on an E6 to make it a 6-0 S&T lead.
Andrew Branson (St. James, MO/St. James) made it a 7-0 game in the fourth inning, belting a sac fly to deep left field that didn't miss being a three-run homerun by much. Drury got on the board in the bottom of the inning, cashing in a leadoff single with a two-out base hit to right to make it 7-1.
A scoreless fifth was followed by another S&T run in the sixth off the bat of
Doug Wood (Liberty, MO/Liberty North), who singled to left to plate Branson and make it 8-1. Drury had a great opportunity to get back into the game in the bottom of the inning, as they managed to load the bases against reliever
Chasen Anderson (Moscow Mills, MO/Troy Buchanan), but the veteran was able to work out of trouble and hang a zero to maintain the seven run lead.
S&T's final run of the game came in the eighth, when Wood drove in
Christian Montes de Oca (El Paso, TX/Franklin) on a sacrifice fly to make it a 9-1 game. Drury was able to make things close in their final at bats of game one in the ninth, connecting on a two-run pinch hit home run but it wasn't enough as S&T took the opener.
Ruether finished game one 3-5 with two RBI while Weiner went 2-4 with an RBI and two runs to his credit. Berkhoff went 2-3 in the game with an RBI and also scored twice while Wood went 1-4 and drove in a pair. Every starter in the lineup registered at least one hit in the game.
Athmer (1-1) was masterful in his first collegiate start, working five strong innings and allowing just one run on three hits while striking out four against one walk. Anderson recorded the save and worked four innings out of the bullpen, and allowed two runs on one hit while also striking out four in his longest outing since 2020.
The nightcap started off with plenty of action in the top of the first. After a pair of one-out walks and a single loaded the bases,
Will Hayes (Terre Haute, IN/South Vigo) was hit a pitch in his first plate appearance of the year to force home the opening run of the game.
Dakota Sill (Lansing, KS/Lansing) reached on an E9 to score another run and following a strikeout,
Matt Souza (Escondido, CA/Christian) drove home two with a single to left to make it 4-0.
Drury answered with four of their own in the bottom of the first against starter
Ben Belgrave (Cary, IL/Cary-Grove), as three-straight one out singles followed by a sac fly got DU on the board. A two-run double and an E3 allowed three more runs to score and tie the game at four after one inning.
A scoreless second inning was followed by a two-run third by the Miners, as a pass ball on a walk issued to Sill allowed Weiner to cross home. A
Brady Voss (Lake St. Louis, MO/Liberty) sacrifice fly to right scored Hayes moments later to make it 6-4 S&T.
The game changed in the fourth when Drury took the lead for good behind a nine-run outburst that saw three pitchers used in the inning by the Miners. DU tacked on another run in the sixth to make it 14-6 as S&T was able to manage just two baserunners in the final three innings of the seven inning nightcap.
Souza had two of S&T's four hits in the game and drove in a pair.
Belgrave (0-1) took the loss on the mound, allowing eight runs, six earned, on seven hits in his three-plus innings.
Matt Ellingson (Lenexa, KS/Olathe Northwest) was the third of three pitchers used in the game, and turned in one of his best outings of his career, working 2 2/3 innings in relief and allowing just one earned run on two hits.
The series will continue with a single game Saturday scheduled for a 12 P.M. start time.
