St. Louis – The Maryville baseball team needed a walk-off double from
Mitch Carriger in game one to help earn a double header split with McKendree University as the Saints won the first game, 4-3, but fell to the Bearcats in the nightcap, 4-0 on Wednesday afternoon at Weber Field.
The Bearcats took advantage of an error and a wild pitch to grab a 3-0 lead in the top of the third, but the Saints answered in the home half of the inning as
Danny Covert opened the frame with a double down the left field line while
Louis Niemerg was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Both runners moved up 90 feet on a balk and then Carriger drew a walk to load the basses. After a pitching change for the Bearcats, Covert came home to score on a wild pitch and Niemerg scored on a ground out to the shortstop to cut the McKendree lead to 3-2.
Tyler Catlett came to the plate and hit an infield single to move Carriger to third and he scored on an
Matt Scheibel ground out to tie the contest at 3-3.
The game turned into a pitcher's duel until the bottom of the seventh as Neimerg opened the frame with a single to left field.
DeShawn Lindsey entered the game to pinch run for Neimerg and swiped second base. Carriger then ended the game in walk-off fashion with a double into right field to score Lindsey and give the Saints a victory.
Alec Harris came in to relieve Saints starter
Julian Langford to put up his first win of the year, going 4.2 innings while scattering three hits and striking out four Bearcat batters. Covert, Niemerg, Carriger, Catlett,
Dalton Schumer, and
Garrett Taylor all had hits in the contest.
McKendree came out on fire in the nightcap as the Bearcats plated four runs on seven hits over the first four inning of the contest. The Saints did get the bases loaded in the home half of the fourth with a single and a pair of walks, but Maryville could not bring anyone home as
Troy Payton flew out to left field to end the Saints uprising.
The Saints again would get runners in scoring postion in the bottom of the sixth as Covert singled up the middle and Niemerg drilled a double down the left field line to put runners at second and third with no one out. McKendree again tight roped out of danger by getting a fly out to center and then throwing out Niemerg at second base for a double play. The inning ended for the Saints on a strikeout to keep the Bearcats ahead 4-0.
Maryville had another opportunity in the bottom of the seventh with two outs as
Camdon Mercier hit an infield single and
Austin Waugh reached base on an error to give Maryville life.
Zack Ruckman then drew a free pass to load the bases for the second time in the game, and again McKendree got of the jam by forcing a fly out to earn the split.
Drake Kanallakan suffered his first loss of the year by giving up three runs on five hits in his three innings pitched. Carriger was the only Saint to have a pair of hits in the contest as the Bearcats pitching staff scattered five hits in the game.
Maryville opens Great Lakes Valley Conference play this coming Saturday, March 25, as the Saints travel to North County St. Louis to take on the University of Missouri-St. Louis. First pitch is set for noon.
