ROLLA, Mo. -- Missouri S&T Baseball picked up their eighth consecutive win on Friday afternoon, defeating Rockhurst 12-10 to move to 7-2 in conference play.
The Miners grabbed an early lead in the first inning, getting a leadoff single by
Drew Baugus (Kirkwood, MO/Kirkwood) who scored on a two-run home run by
Garrett Meyer (Jacksonville, IL/Jacksonville) two at bats later. The Hawks and Miners both recorded a pair of hits in the second, with S&T's coming off the bats of
Jackson Evans (Overland Park, KS/Olathe North) and
Keaton Scott (Hannibal, MO/Hannibal), but both teams left the inning empty.
Rockhurst finally hit paydirt in the fourth, getting a home run from Dakota Hanna along with singles and a double to move ahead 3-2. The Miners drew even in the bottom of the inning though, getting a run from
Aiden Cizek (Wildwood, MO/Lafayette) on a solo home run.
Hanna added another three runs for the Hawks in a single swing next inning, sending a three-run homer to left field to make it a 6-3 game. S&T answered again in the bottom of the inning, getting a bases clearing triple from
Will Beckham (Mountain Home, AR/Mountain Home) and another RBI from
Denton Damgaard (Colorado Springs, CO/Cheyenne Mountain HS) in the following at bat, putting the Miners up 7-6.
The Miners added to their lead in the following innings, pulling ahead 12-9 on a single by
Bricen Smith (Perry, GA/Mount de Sales Academy), a home run by Meyer, a double by Cizek, and a pair of Rockhurst errors. S&T got into a dangerous spot in the top of the ninth, allowing a run to make it a 12-10 game with bases loaded.
Ethan Payne (Bentonville, AR/Bentonville) was able to get out of the situation and earn a save though, ending the game with a fly out to
Scott Thompson (Greeley, CO/University) in left field.
Five S&T pitchers saw action in the game, with
Nate Donovan (Ballwin, MO/Parkway South) earning his first career win and
Ethan Payne (Bentonville, AR/Bentonville) grabbing his second save of the season. The Miners infield made several key outs, with Cizek and
Will Muench (Wentzville, MO/Timberland) making numerous highlight-worthy plays. Meyer and Beckham both recorded three RBIs, combining for three home runs, while Muench went 3-of-4 with 1 run and 1 RBI.
What's Next
The Miners continue their series vs Rockhurst with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon.
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