QUINCY, Ill. – Looking to end the weekend on a winning note, the Missouri S&T baseball team took to the field for the final time in 2022 at QU Stadium Sunday for the series finale against Great Lakes Valley Conference foe Quincy. The Miners (20-25, 8-16) struck first in the game as both sides traded blows all throughout the afternoon with the Hawks (30-20, 15-9) rallying late to get within one, but were unable to complete the comeback as S&T captured the win by a final score of 12-11.
The Miners got the afternoon started off right in the top of the first, scoring twice on an RBI single by
Andrew Branson (St. James, MO/St. James) and a sacrifice fly from
Braden Mahurin (Dixon, MO/Dixon) that made it a 2-0 game early.
Quincy responded with four runs in the second, three of which came on a home run, to go on top 4-2 for their first lead of the day.
The offense kept coming in the third, as
Doug Wood (Liberty, MO/Liberty North) blasted his ninth home run of the season with one out in the inning to make it 4-3 before Branson and Mahurin both reached to put two in scoring position for
Tate Morrell (Lloydminster, AB). Before a pitch was even delivered, a balk was called to bring Branson home to tie the game, and four pitches later, Morrell put S&T back on top with a sac fly to right field that ended up being a close play at the plate, but was upheld after a video review.
The Hawks regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, stringing together three-straight two-out hits to bring home two and make it 6-5.
After a torrid start to the afternoon, things settled down as the Miners and Hawks held each other off the scoreboard in the fourth and fifth innings before S&T broke through with two outs in the sixth, when
Brady Voss (Lake St. Louis, MO/Liberty) singled into centerfield to score
Christian Montes de Oca (El Paso, TX/Franklin) to tie the game at 6-6.
The Green & Gold kept things rolling in the seventh, retaking the lead in the seventh on a throwing error on a fielder's choice off the bat of
Tommy Ruether (Washington, MO/Washington) that scored Branson and Morrell and saw Ruether end up at second. He scored moments later to make it 9-6 when Montes de Oca lined a single to right center for his second hit of the day.
Quincy looked poised for a big inning in the bottom of the seventh as they loaded to bases to begin the inning, but
David Kephart (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley Northwest) entered the game and pitched out of trouble, allowing just one run to score to keep S&T ahead 9-7.
Morrell pushed the lead back to three in the eighth with an RBI single to right center that scored Branson, but again QU answered in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run to make it 10-8.
Two runs came in the ninth for S&T, starting with a squeeze bunt from
Brady Voss (Lake St. Louis, MO/Liberty) that scored
Dakota Sill (Lansing, KS/Lansing) before Mahurin forced home a run after being hit by a pitch to make it 12-8. The Hawks looked to rally in their final at bats of the day, scoring on a wild pitch and a two-run home run to close to within one at 12-11, but a pop up in foul territory was hauled in by Mahurin for the final out as S&T held on to capture the win.
Estin McBroom (Monett, MO/Monett) started the game and took a no-decision, working three innings and allowing six runs on eight hits while striking out a pair.
Dylan Dunbar (West Plains, MO/West Plains) worked 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief and recorded a strikeout for his final out in a Miner uniform.
Chasen Anderson (Moscow Mills, MO/Troy Buchanan) (1-1) earned the win as he finished off the sixth for Dunbar and recorded a strikeout as well, while
David Kephart (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley Northwest) struck out two in his inning of work.
Nate Wodka (Allen, TX/Allen) picked up a save, working the final two innings and recording his firs save of the season.
Nine different Miners recorded a hit in the game, including six who turned in multi-hit games. Hayes and Mahurin each finished with three hits and combined for three runs with the latter driving in a pair. Voss went 2-5 with two RBI and a run while Morrell went 2-4 and also drove in two and scored. Branson finished 2-3 with an RBI and three runs scored while Montes de Oca and Wood also drove in a run each.
S&T finishes the season 20-25 overall and 8-16 in league play.
