SPRINGFIELD, MO -- Missouri S&T Baseball split their two games at the Drury Invite on Saturday, defeating the Indianapolis Greyhounds 11-10 before falling to RV Drury 17-6.
Miners 11, Greyhounds 10
Missouri S&T built a nine-run cushion, weathered a late surge, and delivered in the final inning to secure an 11-10 victory over Indianapolis on Saturday morning.
The Miners wasted little time applying pressure. After a scoreless first, S&T capitalized on defensive miscues and a pair of singles in the second inning to plate three runs. A single from
Drew Baugus (Kirkwood, MO/Kirkwood) ignited the rally, starting a three-run inning for the Miners. They added another run in the third with an RBI single by
Aiden Cizek (Wildwood, MO/Lafayette) before erupting for five in the fourth. Baugus tripled home a run, scoring himself in the following at bat after a single by
Bricen Smith (Perry, GA/Mount de Sales Academy).
Garrett Meyer (Jacksonville, IL/Jacksonville) doubled and
Will Beckham (Mountain Home, AR/Mountain Home) tripled in the following at bats, scoring two more before
Denton Damgaard (Colorado Springs, CO/Cheyenne Mountain HS) capped the inning with an RBI single as S&T surged ahead 9-0 behind an 11-hit attack through four frames.
Indianapolis answered with an eight-run fifth to pull within one at 9-8, recording six hits in the inning. They eventually edged ahead 10-9 in the eighth after a pair of singles and a hit by pitch. The Miners' bullpen settled in from there, highlighted by Dylan Wipf (Oak Park, IL/River Forest), who tossed two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
In the ninth, S&T came through in the cluth. After a leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt moved the tying run into scoring position, Caleb Horsey (Springdale, AR/Springdale) brought home the equalizer on a fielder's choice. Moments later, Will Muench (Wentzville, MO/Timberland) lined a single to right center to score the go-ahead run, putting the Miners back on top, 11-10 and giving Wipf the needed cushion to close out the game and earn the win, striking out three in the bottom of the ninth.
S&T finished with 15 hits, led by Smith's four-hit performance. Cizek added three hits and an RBI, while Beckham drove in two and scored a team-high three times.
Panthers 17, Miners 6
The Miners struck first in the opening inning, getting three hits and scoring on a solo home run to left field by Meyer. Drury responded with a pair of hits of their own and a couple of runs in the bottom of the inning, taking a 2-1 lead. The Miners scored two runs in the top of the third on a single by Jackson Evnas, but the Panthers scored a pair in both the second and third to move ahead 6-3.
S&T continued to compete offensively throughout the contest. Smith doubled home a run in the fourth, and the Miners manufactured runs in the fifth and sixth innings, including an RBI single from Damgaard. The lineup produced 10 hits on the night, with Damgaard collecting two hits and an RBI, while Smith and Beckham each added multi-hit efforts.
Drury capitalized on timely extra-base hits and big innings in the middle frames to pull away. Despite the final margin, the Miners showed flashes at the plate, including Meyer's early homer and consistent traffic on the bases with three walks and multiple extra-base hits.
What's Next
Missouri S&T will host Grand Valley State in a four-game series starting on Friday, March 6th.
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