ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Miners dropped game one in today's doubleheader against UMSL by a score of 7-2, but rebounded the second game with a 5-4 win. Gross performed well in game 2, recording 7 strikeouts in 5.0 innings and giving up just three hits and one earned run.
Game One: Tritons 7, Miners 2
The Miners claimed an early lead in the game, getting a single from
Jack Bell (Andover, KS/Andover Central) and a double from
Kenneth Sugi (North Vancouver, BC/Carson Graham Secondary) in the first two at bats to set up a sacrifice fly for
Tyler Prince (Mexico, MO/Mexico) to bring home Bell. The Miners did not hold the one run lead for long though as the Tritons scored one in the top of the first to draw even. The Miners would record a single in each of the next two innings, but never get anyone past first base.
Starting pitcher
David Kephart (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley Northwest) got into trouble early in the third, giving up two singles and a double to the first three batters en route to a 3-1 UMSL lead. The Tritons would add two more later in the inning to extend their lead to 5-1 before Kephart was able to close out the inning.
The Miners were able to find a bit more success in the top of the fourth, getting runners on first and second but still failing to score any of them.
Dylan Bates (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) stepped in for Kephart in the fifth, walking his first batter before giving up a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly that allowed the Tritons to score their sixth.
Jake Schisler (Quincy, IL/Quincy Notre Dame) took over and closed out the inning with a swinging strikeout.
Later, in the top of the sixth, Prince led off with a double to center field, moving around to score two at bats later off a groundout by
Nick Krodinger (DeSoto, MO/DeSoto), making it a 6-2 game. The Tritons reclaimed a five run lead in the bottom of the inning though, hitting a back to back singles off
Estin McBroom (Monett, MO/Monett) and scoring off a fielding error by the Miners. Down by five in the final inning, the Miners were unable to get anything going on offense, going on to lose 7-2.
Game Two: Miners 5, Tritons 4
The Miners loaded the bases early in the first with a walk, HBP, and a single by
Tommy Ruether (Washington, MO/Washington). RBIs for Mat Souza and Krodinger in the ensuing at bats scored two for the Miners before the top of the first ended. The Miners only recorded one hit in the next two innings, but the Tritons fared even worse with Gross striking out four in the first three innings.
The top of the fourth brought the next run of the game, with Ruether scoring another run for S&T off a single by
Andrew Hedgecorth (Smithville, MO/Smithville). The Miners would add another run in the fifth off a single by Ruether, furthering their lead to 4-0. Gross gave up his first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth off a homerun by the lead off batter. Gross would go on to strikeout two batters in the inning but still allowed another run in what would be his last inning of the day.
Singles by Sugi and Hedgecorth helped the Miners add another run in the top of the sixth, making their lead 5-2.
Jacob Cook (Shorewood, Ill./Minooka Community) took over pitching duties for Gross in the bottom of the sixth, striking out one and getting through the inning in just three at bats. The Miners found success at bat again in the seventh, loading the bases off two singles and hit by pitch before a strikeout swinging and a groundout left the bases loaded. Cook would struggle in the bottom of the seventh, walking his first two before getting a couple of outs off a strikeout and a fly out.
Dylan Wipf (Oak Park, IL/River Forest) took over to close the game, giving up a single and throwing two wild pitches to allow the Tritons to make it a one run game. After an intentional walk, Wipf struckout the next batter after being down 3-0 in the count to give S&T the 5-4 win.
Gross' record now improves to 4-0 on the season, while Wipf earned his second save of the season. The Miners had several players that performed well at the plate, but none better than Hedgecorth who went 3-for-3, 1 run, and 1 RBI. The split gives the Miners 26-22 overall and 16-18 conference records.
The final game of the regular season is tomorrow at 11 a.m.
