Kansas City, Mo. –  The Maryville baseball team needed to work extra inning in the nightcap to earn a split with Rockhurst University Saturday afternoon at Loyola Park. The Hawks took the first game of the day, 6-4 while the Saints battled back from a four-run deficit to win the second game of the day 6-5 in 16 innings.
 
Game One:
The Hawks once again opened the scoring in the top of the first with a run to take a 1-0 lead, but the Saints answered in the home half of the second as Daniel Covert launched a three-run blast over the left field wall to give Maryville a 3-1 lead. The Hawks scored a run on three hits in the fifth to cut the Saints lead to 3-2. Rockhurst took the lead in the sixth inning with runs to make the score 6-3. The Saints battled back in the seventh as Garrett Taylor hit an RBI single to cut the Hawks lead to 6-4 but that is as close as they could get as the Hawks forced a pair of pop flies to end the contest.
 
Winning Pitcher: Jacob Thigpen (2-4)
Save: Grant Ruediger (3)
Losing Pitcher: Louis Niemerg (3-3)
Hitting leaders: Covert – 1-for-2, HR (6), 3 RBIs, run scored
                           Zack Ruckman - 1-for-1, 2B, two runs scored
 
Game Two:
Rockhurst scored a pair of runs in the second inning to take a 2-0 lead, but the Saints answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning. Ruckman lifted a double down the left field line and scored on a Hawks fielding error to cut the lead to 2-1. Rockhurst extended the lead in the third inning with three runs to take a 5-1 advantage. The Saints put a pair of runs on the board in the third as Drake Lubin started the inning with a single and scored on a Domonic Connolly single to center field make the score 5-2. Taylor then drove in Connolly with another single to cut the Hawk lead to 5-3. Maryville inched closer in the fifth as Williams opened the inning by being hit by a pitch and moved to third on a Niemerg single. Connolly drove in Williams with a single to center field to get the Saints to within one run at 5-4. The score remained the same until the bottom of the ninth as Covert singled and moved to second on a fielding miscue. After a sacrifice bunt moved him to third, Covert scored as Lubin hit a sacrifice fly to center field to tie the game at 5-5. After both teams had numerous chance to score in the extra frames, the Saints broke through in the 16th as Lubin reached base on an error and scored as Williams drilled a double down the right field line to earn Maryville the split.
 
Winning Pitcher: Alec Harris (9-3)
Save: None
Losing Pitcher: Henry Weiler (1-4)
Hitting leaders: Williams – 4-for-7, 2 2B's, RBI, run scored
                           Lubin – 2-for-6, RBI, two runs scored
                           Ruckman – 2-for 6, 2 2B's, run scored
 
                          
Records:
Maryville – 22-20, 13-5 GLVC
Rockhurst – 13-26, 5-15 GLVC
 
Up Next - Maryville continues their two-week road trip as the Saints travel to Springfield, Mo. to take on Drury in a four-game series starting Saturday afternoon at noon.