ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T went 1-1 in today's double header against William Jewell, losing the first 8-6, but rebounding to take the second game 3-0.
Estin McBroom (Monett, MO/Monett) earned the win in game two, pitching the full game as he recorded five strikeouts and only allowing four hits.
Game 1: Cardinals 8, Miners 6
Starting pitcher
Ethan Morrow (Lenexa, KS/Shawnee Mission West) ran into trouble in the first inning, allowing runners to reach first and third before recording the first out of the game on a swinging strikeout. He would go on to load the bases, then allow three runs to score off a pair of singles and a walk with bases loaded before getting two more strikeouts to end the half inning.
Sam Monroe (Moline, Ill./Moline) singled off the first pitch of the game, moving around to second off a sacrifice bunt by
Garrett Weiner (Alton, IL/Marquette) in the next at bat. He did not make it home though after the next two batters struckout.
The top of the inning brought more problems for Morrow, allowing two runners into scoring position before his first out came on an RBI groundout for the Cardinals, putting William Jewell up 4-0. After walking the next pitcher, Morrow was replaced by
Matthew Kaiser (St. Louis, MO/Vianney). Kaiser would give up one more run but get two outs on three at bats to leave two stranded for the Cardinals. The Miners would find their first run of the game in the bottom of the second, with
Nick Krodinger (DeSoto, MO/DeSoto) and
Denton Damgaard (Colorado Springs, CO/Cheyenne Mountain HS) both contributing hits before
Andrew Hedgecorth's (Smithville, MO/Smithville) RBI brought Krodinger home.
Despite getting out of a tricky situation in the previous inning, Kaiser showed some reasons for concern, eventually leading to his replacement in the top of the third after giving up a walk and a single with only one out.
Dylan Bates (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) came in for the Miners, allowing a run on a sacrifice fly before ending the inning on a fly out to left field. Monroe led off the third with a another single off the first pitch. He would advance to third with Weiner on second after a HBP and wild pitch. The bases would load after
Kenneth Sugi (North Vancouver, BC/Carson Graham Secondary) was walked next at bat. A wild pitch during the next at bat would allow Monroe to come home, making it 6-2. Another walk by WJC's pitcher would load the bases again, leading to another run scored on a balk two at bats later before a pair of strikeouts ended the inning with the Miners trailing 6-3.
Bates would walk the first two batters in the fourth before getting a strikeout. He would allow a run and a single before giving up pitching duties to
Matt Ellingson (Lenexa, KS/Olathe Northwest) who would end the top of the fourth with a groundout. The Miners would add another run in the bottom of the fourth, as Monroe and Weiner hit singles, with the latter getting the RBI on Monroe's run. Ellingson would hold the Cardinals scoreless in the top of the fifth despite hitting one batter with the pitch and walking another. S&T's fifth inning batting would be even shorter with the Cardinals retiring three straight batters.
Dylan Wipf (Oak Park, IL/River Forest) would take over for Ellingson in the sixth, holding the Cardinals scoreless and recording two strikeouts. The Miners wouldn't fair any better in the bottom of the inning, getting three outs quickly on two strikeouts and a foul out. Wipf would give up one more run to the visitors in the top of the seventh, leading to the Miners trailing by four entering the bottom of the final inning.
A single by Monroe, a hit by pitch, and a walk would load the bases for S&T with zero outs. A fielders choice RBI for Sugi and a single RBI for Tyler Price would bring tow home for the Miners with only one out and runners on first and second. A pop up to first base would put the Miners one out away from losing with the winning run coming up to bat. A wild pitch would advance the runners to second and third before the Miners' hopes were dashed by a strikeout that ended the game in an 8-6 loss for S&T.
Game 2: Miners 3, Cardinals 0
The second game was the Miners' shortest of the season, only taking about an hour and a half. Back-to-back singles in the first two at bats for William Jewell threatened to make game two another high scoring affair, but a pick off at second base would be followed by a strikeout and a groundout to finish the inning. The Miners recorded a hit of their own in the bottom of the first off a double by Sugi. That would be the only positive in the half inning for S&T as no one else made it on base.
McBroom would clean up in the next three innings, retiring ten straight batters and recording four strikeouts from the top of the second through the top of the fifth. The Miners would only record one hit in that time as both teams' pitchers took care of batters quickly. The Cardinals would threaten in the top of the fifth, getting runners to first and third with one out, but a double play by the S&T infield would get them out of the inning unscathed.
With
Logan Alexander (Olathe, KS/Olathe Northwest) on second and two outs in the bottom of the fifth,
Drew Baugus (Kirkwood, MO/Kirkwood) hit a double that brought Alexander home. He would advance to third on the throw to home. A wild pitch during the next at bat would allow Baugus to take home and put the Miners up by two. Pitching struggles continued for the Cardinals, with two HBPs in a row allowing the Miners to get runners in scoring position for an RBI double for Sugi. The Cardinals finally got the last out in the following at bat. McBroom would continue his stellar day into the last two innings, getting six outs on six at bats to clinch the shutout win for the Miners, 3-0.
Monroe had the most successful day at the plate, getting four hits in four at bats in the first game, but Sugi's two RBIs today were the most of anyone on the team. McBroom's performance gave the Miners their second shutout win of the season.
Last game of the series is tomorrow starting at 1 p.m.
