EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Back on the road for another Great Lakes Valley Conference series, the Missouri S&T baseball team lined up opposite Southern Indiana at the USI baseball field Friday to for the first of four this weekend in the final meeting between the two schools at the Division II level. It was a back-and-forth high-scoring affair, but unfortunately for the Miners (17-21, 5-12) a big sixth inning was the difference as USI scored six runs to go on to a 12-9 win in the opener.
Doug Wood (Liberty, MO/Liberty North) got the afternoon going with a bang in the first inning, leaving the yard for the seventh time this season to right center for the opening salvo of the game.
USI answered back with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead, the second of which came on an overturned 4-6-3 double play that would have ended the inning with just one run having scored.
S&T answered back with four runs in the top of the second, starting when
Tate Morrell (Lloydminster, AB/) tripled into the right field corner to score
Andrew Branson (St. James, MO/St. James) with one out. Morrell scored moments later on an RBI single by
Will Hayes (Terre Haute, IN/South Vigo) and two batters later, Hayes came around to score on a single back up the box by
Tommy Ruether (Washington, MO/Washington). A sacrifice fly from Wood plated
Dakota Sill (Lansing, KS/Lansing) after he reached on a walk to make it a 5-2 S&T advantage.
After being held off the board in the bottom of the second, Southern Indiana scored two runs in each of the third and fourth innings to regain the lead 6-5. The Miners tied the game in the sixth on an RBI double by Branson that plated
Garrett Weiner (Alton, IL/Marquette) before taking the lead the two runs in the sixth on back-to-back two out RBI knocks from Weiner and
Braden Mahurin (Dixon, MO/Dixon) to make it and 8-6 game.
The difference Friday afternoon was the bottom of the sixth, when USI managed to score six runs on four hits while taking advantage of some defensive miscues by the Miners to regain the lead 12-8.
An RBI fielder's choice by Ruether in the seventh scored Branson to make it a 12-9 game, but that was as close as S&T managed to get over the final three innings, falling to the Screaming Eagles to open the series.
Branson led the way for S&T at the plate as one of four players with a multi-hit game, going 4-4 with two doubles, an RBI, two runs scored and a walk. Weiner posted a 3-4 day with a double, RBI and run scored while Ruether went 2-6 with a double, two RBI and a run. Morrell rounded out that group, going 2-5 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored. Wood drove in a pair in the game while Mahurin and Hayes and had a hit and drove in a run.
Dylan Dunbar (West Plains, MO/West Plains) took the loss in the game, allowing four runs, three earned, in an inning plus of relief.
Dylan Mollett (St. Louis, MO/Oakville) took a no-decision and worked into the third inning in his start, allowing four runs on four hits.
Ben Belgrave (Cary, IL/Cary-Grove) allowed two unearned runs in an inning of work while
Chasen Anderson (Moscow Mills, MO/Troy Buchanan) worked a scoreless inning.
Matt Ellingson (Lenexa, KS/Olathe Northwest) worked the final three innings and allowed two runs on three hits while striking out two.
The series resumes with doubleheader action Saturday beginning at 2 P.M.
