ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Miners held the Tritons to 1 run day, getting a 6-1 win over the series opener. Starting pitcher
Dylan Mollett (St. Louis, MO/Oakville) had another great outing, going 7 innings and striking out 7.
The first three innings moved quickly, with neither team scoring. Mollett had three strikeouts and only allowed two batters on base during that stretch. The top of the fourth would see the Miners get their first hit of the game, getting singles from
Jack Bell (Andover, KS/Andover Central) and
Garrett Weiner (Alton, IL/Marquette). They were unable to score either run though, with Bell getting caught stealing and Weiner being left stranded. The Tritons threatened in the fourth as well, singling and eventually advancing the runner to third with just one out on the board. An unassisted putout at first by Weiner and a strikeout from Mollett would prevent UMSL from scoring though, taking the game into the fifth with zeros on the scoreboard.
A walk for
Sam Monroe (Moline, Ill./Moline) and a double for
Tommy Ruether (Washington, MO/Washington) would set the Miners up with runners on first and third with one out early in the fifth inning. A groundout by
Denton Damgaard (Colorado Springs, CO/Cheyenne Mountain HS) in the next at bat would bring Monroe home and score the first run of the day as S&T took a 1-0 lead. The Tritons responded in the bottom of the inning though. After getting a single and stealing a base, UMSL was set up with a runner on second and two outs. The next Triton batter hit a double deep to center field that landed at the edge of the warning track just out of the reach of Bell's outstretched glove. The runner on second would score and tie the game at 1-all before the inning ended with a line out for the home team.
Unfazed by losing the lead, the Miners came out and hit singles in three of their first four at bats of the sixth, scoring one to reclaim the lead. A sac bunt by Monroe and a bloop single by
Nick Krodinger (DeSoto, MO/DeSoto) would score two more in the inning, extending the Miners' lead to 4-1. Mollett went on to record two more strikeouts in the next two innings, bringing his game total to 7 before he was replaced by
Cody Hazzard (Mazon, IL/Yorkville Christian) in the eighth. Hazzard gave up a walk to the second batter but was bailed out by the infield with a double play during the next at bat that ended the inning.
Up 4-1 entering the ninth, the Miners put baserunners in scoring position again with
Tommy Ruether (Washington, MO/Washington) on third and
Drew Baugus (Kirkwood, MO/Kirkwood) on first and a walk and a single.
Carter Bither (Springfield, MO/Springfield Catholic) came up to attempt a sac bunt to score Ruether, but it backfired when the Tritons turned it into a fielders choice tag out at home, leaving the Miners with runners on first and second with two outs. Bell stepped up to the plate and hit a 2 RBI double to center field, giving the Miners a 6-1 lead heading into the bottom of the inning. Hazzard would only give up one hit in the final inning, earning his third save of the year and giving the Miners the win.
Mollett final state line was 7 hits allowed, 1 earned run allowed, 7 strikeouts, in 7.0 innings pitched. His record for the season improves to 6-3. Hazzard performed well too, only giving up 1 hit in 2.0 innings pitched. Bell had the best day at the plate, recording 3 hits in 5 at bats along with 2 RBIs and 1 run.
The Miners and Tritons play again tomorrow in a doubleheader that starts at noon.
