Joplin, Mo. – The Maryville baseball team earned a split on the road against Missouri Southern State University by winning the first game, 11-3 and then falling in the nightcap, 8-2. The win in the first game extended the Saints winning streak to nine games, which is the longest winning streak in the Division II era and it also was the longest winning streak since the 1991 season.
The Saints scored the first run of the contest in the top of the first inning as
Zack Ruckman started things off with a walk and moved to second on a throwing error. He scored on a
Mitch Carriger double to left center field to give Maryville a 1-0 lead.
The Saints extended the lead in the second as
Connor Markell singled to open up the frame and checked into second as Camden Mercier reached base on an error to put runners at first and second. Ruckman came to the plate and drew another free pass to load the bases and
Cody Klotz smacked a single to right field to score Markell and give Maryville a 2-0 lead. Mercier then scored on a balk to give the Saints a 3-0 advantage.
Things continued to go the Saints way in the third as
Louis Niemerg doubled to left center and scored as Markell singled up the middle to give Maryville a 4-0 lead. The Lions plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the third to cut the Maryville lead to 4-2, but the Saints extended the lead in the top of the fourth as Klotz singled up the middle and moved to third on a pair of pass balls.
Matt Scheibel moved to first on a walk and Carriger smashed a triple down the right field line to score both Klotz and Scheibel to give Maryville a 6-2 lead. Carriger came around to score on a
Dalton Schumer single to give the Saints a 7-2 advantage.
The Saints offensive outburst continued in the top of the fifth as Mercier drilled a two-out single through the left side and moved to second on a Ruckman single. Klotz plated Mercier with a single while moving Ruckman to third to give Maryville an 8-2 lead. Ruckman then scored on a Scheibel infield single while Klotz moved to third. Carriger continued to swing a hot bat as he drilled a double to left center to drive in his fourth and fifth RBI's of the game as it gave the Saints an 11-2 lead.
The Lions plated a run in the sixth inning, but the that was it as the Saints pitching staff gave up only six hits in the game.
Drake Kanallakan earned his first win of the year going three innings and giving up only two hits while striking out a pair of Lion batters. Carriger and Klotz each went 3-for-4 while driving in a combined seven runs for the Saints with Markell adding two hits to the Maryville attack.
Maryville open up game two with a pair of runs in the first inning as Ruckman drew a walk, stole second, and moved to third on a Klotz single to put runners at the corners. After a strikeout and a fly out, Schumer delivered a double down the left field line clear the bases and give the Saints a 2-0 lead.
The Lions bounced back as they plated a pair of runs in the second to tie the contest at 2-2 and they took the lead with a three run outburst in the fifth to take their first lead of the day at 5-2.
Maryville had their chances to score as the Saints loaded the bases in the seventh and put runners at first and second in the eighth, but could not push across a run.
Missouri Southern added three runs in the eighth inning to give Maryville their first loss since falling to Southwest Baptist on Feb. 19, 11-10.
Justin Laffleur suffered the loss in relief by giving up three runs on a pair of hits and striking out one Lion batter. Schumer paced the Saints at the plate by going 1-for-3 with two runs batted in as Maryville were only able to muster five hits in the game.
Maryville returns to action on Wednesday, March 22, as the Saints take on McKendree University in a non-conference match-up at Weber Field with the first game of the twinbill starting at 1 P.M.
