OZARK, Mo. – After splitting the first two games of their four-game weekend series, the Missouri S&T baseball team was back on the turf at the U.S. Baseball Park for game three of the weekend against Drury. Despite leading through the early going, the Miners (3-4) were unable to keep the Panthers (12-1) off the scoreboard late, first to tie the game in the final innings before collecting a walk-off hit in extra innings on a rain-soaked afternoon for the 5-4 win.
S&T struck first in the second inning when
Tommy Ruether (Washington, MO/Washington) singled to right field to cash in a two-out error by the Panthers that allowed
Aaron Berkhoff (Colorado Springs, CO/Cheyenne Mountain) to reach base and advance to second. The Miners doubled their lead in the third inning when
Braden Mahurin (Dixon, MO/Dixon) drove home
Garrett Weiner (Alton, IL/Marquette) after he singled and stole second with one away in the inning.
Drury broke through in the fourth for their first run of the day, as a two-out double plated a run after a leadoff single to start the inning.
The Miners answered Drury's run with two of their own in the top of the fifth, when
Tate Morrell (Lloydminster, AB/) singled into centerfield to score
Braden Mahurin (Dixon, MO/Dixon) and
Doug Wood (Liberty, MO/Liberty North) and make it a 4-1 lead.
The Panthers plated a run in the fifth on back-to-back one-out doubles and again in the sixth on a double steal with runners at the corners to make it a 4-3 game and brought about an end to the day for starter
Dylan Mollett (St. Louis, MO/Oakville) and 5 2/3 innings of work. A sacrifice fly in the seventh plated another run for the home team and tied the game a 4-4.
After a scoreless eight, the Miners had a chance to plate the go-ahead run in the ninth with two outs but were left empty-handed as two runners were left in scoring position as the Panthers escaped the jam.
A 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth from reliever
Elijah Gross (Lee's Summit, MO/Lee's Summit West) meant extra innings was on the horizon as the rain that started in the later innings of the game continued to come down.
The Miners and Panthers traded zeros to begin the extra frames, but in the end, it was Drury who would find a way to manufacture the go ahead run. In the 11th, a one-out double followed by a pair of singles allowed DU to win 5-4.
Morrell drove in two of S&T's four runs in the game while Mahurin, Ruether and Wood all recorded multi-hit games. Mollett took a no decision in his second start of the season, striking out six against one walk while allowing three runs on seven hits. Gross (1-1) took the loss in relief, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out five in his 4 2/3 innings out of the pen.
The series will wrap up Sunday, with another single nine-inning game set for a 12 P.M. first pitch.
