MARION, Ill. – Maryville baseball avoided elimination in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament on Friday behind Jamie Young's gem on the mound against the University of Illinois Springifield. The Saints backed up a stellar outing from the right-hander with 10 runs including two RBI from Elias Stevens, Zeb Roos, and Stephen Randazzo.
 
UIS Recap
The Saints opened the top of the first inning with a trio of runs to take an early lead. UIS starter Adam Brouwer got the first two outs of the inning before Elias Stevens smoked a double off the wall in center. Zeb Roos walked, Jacob Hager singled home a couple of runs, and Matt Schuler brought in Hager with a double down the right-field line.
 
Andy Bunton continued Maryville's hot streak with a triple with one out in the second and came in on Jack Zebig's RBI single to make it 4-0. In the fourth, Stevens and Roos both picked up RBI singles to widen the gap to six.
 
Saints starter Jamie Young kept the struggling Prairie Star bats quiet through the first four frames. The senior right-hander allowed just two hits while picking up a strikeout to start the game.
 
Maryville continued adding on in the top of the fifth inning. Schuler was hit by a pitch to lead off and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Trace Berggren. Stephen Randazzo then dug in and drilled a two-run home run deep over the 400 sign in center for his first of the tournament and eighth of 2023.
 
UIS worked a one-out walk in the fifth before picking up their third hit of the game on an Asher Bradd single to left. Young buckled down and got the next hitter to ground into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.
 
The Prairie Stars broke through with a run in the seventh. Maryville then responded with two in the top of the eighth to jump ahead 10-1.
 
UIS battled back with a run in the eighth, but Drake Downing finished off a 10-2 win with two innings out of the bullpen to move the Saints to the next level of the GLVC bracket. Young picked up his seventh win of the season behind seven innings, one run allowed, and one strikeout.
 
Winning Pitcher: Jamie Young (7-2)
Losing Pitcher: A. Brouwer (7-2)
  
Batting Leaders
Stephen Randazzo: 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
Andy Bunton: 3-for-5, 3B, 3 R, SB
Elias Stevens: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB
Zeb Roos: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB, R, 2 SB
 
Records:
Maryville: 33-17
UIS: 35-13
 
What's Next?
The Saints will take on the loser of the second-round matchup between Drury University and William Jewell on Saturday, May 13, at 9 a.m.