KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The Miners won 9-7 and 4-1 in today's game, extending their win streak to eight.
Estin McBroom (Monett, MO/Monett) threw just 79 pitches across 7.0 innings in game two, giving up only 1 run and 3 hits.
Game 1: Miners 9, Bulldogs 7
Just as they did in yesterday's game, the Miners found early success at the plate, recording three hits and three runs in the first inning to take the early lead. Starting pitcher
Ethan Morrow (Lenexa, KS/Shawnee Mission West) was more successful than the Bulldogs' pitcher was in the opening inning, but he had struggles of his own. Morrow gave up two singles as well as committing an error and a wild pitch but got out of the inning only allowing one run.
Two singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for the Miners in the second with only one out. Prince hit a grand slam in the ensuing at bat, extending the Miners lead to 7-1. Morrow fared even worse in the second, giving up 5 singles and 4 runs before being replaced by
Jake Schisler (Quincy, IL/Quincy Notre Dame) with 0 outs. Schisler would get the three outs he needed in three at bats, but one more run still made it home in that time due to a fielder's choice situation, making it a 7-6 game.
Keaton Scott (Hannibal, MO/Hannibal) would lead off the third with a single down the left field line, advancing the second on a sacrifice bunt by
Andrew Hedgecorth (Smithville, MO/Smithville), before having to watch the next two batters ground out to end the half inning. Schisler would give up two hits but hold the Bulldogs scoreless in the fourth to maintain the Miners one run lead.
Kenneth Sugi (North Vancouver, BC/Carson Graham Secondary) hit a solo homerun in the top of the fourth, but no other Miners would score that inning. Truman State brought in a run in the fourth too, theirs being off a sacrifice fly to left field. In the top of the fifth, with two outs and a runner on first, an error by the Bulldogs third baseman allowed the inning to continue for the Miners, leading to an unearned run for Scott off a single by
Sam Monroe (Moline, Ill./Moline).
Entering the bottom of the fifth with a 9-7 lead, the Miners made another switch at the pitching position, allowing
Dylan Bates (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) to take the mound. Bates would face four batters in the inning, only allowing a walk as he performed well enough to send the game into the sixth.
A short top of the sixth put Bates back on the mound with only a short break, but after walking his first two batters he would head back to the bench and
Jacob Cook (Shorewood, Ill./Minooka Community) would take over. A groundout and two strikeouts by Cook ended the inning quickly, leaving two Bulldogs stranded. A scoreless seventh for S&T would give TSU a chance to steal the game in the seventh, but they would come up well short as Cook retired the first three batters of the inning to earn the save and give the Miners a 9-7 win.
Game 2: Miners 4, Bulldogs 1
A double by
Jack Bell (Andover, KS/Andover Central) in the first at bat of the game would be the Miners only hit of the first two innings, as pitching was significantly better in game two. The Bulldogs would get a hit in the bottom of the first, but starting pitcher McBroom would not give up another one until the fourth.
A single by
Nick Krodinger (DeSoto, MO/DeSoto) and a double by Sugi would put a runner in scoring position with two outs in the third, but a strikeout in the next at bat ended the inning. S&T would get runners in scoring position again the fourth, with a walk, a hit by pitch, and a wild pitch putting runners on second and third. The Bulldogs would get out of trouble though with a foul out and a groundout leaving both runners stranded.
Truman State would score the first run of the game in bottom of the fourth after hitting a pair of singles. A double play would end the inning with the Bulldogs only up 1-0. The Miners responded the next inning though, with a double and a wild pitch putting Bell on third with no outs. He would reach home on a fielder's choice out in Sugi's at bat, tying the game at 1-all.
No one scored for the next three half innings, taking the game into the seventh still tied 1-1. A hit by pitch and walk contributed to the Miners getting runners on first and second early in the inning. During the next at bat, baserunners Bell and
Denton Damgaard (Colorado Springs, CO/Cheyenne Mountain HS) went to steal second and third, respectively, leading to an overthrown ball to second base by the Bulldogs catcher that allowed Damgaard to come home, putting S&T up 2-1. A double by Sugi two at bats later would bring Bell home as well. A wild pitch by Bulldogs' pitcher would move Sugi to third, but an unnecessary throw to third by the catcher took a bad hop and bounced of the third baseman, allowing Sugi to take home during the commotion.
After finally getting out of the top of the seventh, the Bulldogs were unable to get any traction during their at bats, as McBroom got through the inning in just three batters to give S&T the win.
The wins went to Schisler and McBroom, with Cook earning a save in the first game.Sugi had the most successful day the plate, going 4-for-6 while score 4 runs and batting in 4 more.
The Miners' last game in Kirksville is tomorrow at 12 p.m.
