BOLIVAR, Mo. – The 17th-ranked Maryville University baseball team won the series opener on the road at Southwest Baptist University on Friday evening with a 9-6 final. The Saints were led by big performances from Jack Zebig, Jacob Hager, and Andy Bunton to improve to 22-8 overall and 15-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Confernece.
 
Southwest Baptist Recap
SBU got on the board in the bottom of the first inning after a single and a walk set the stage for a two-RBI triple from Tre Mungin. Maryville starting pitcher Jacob Kroeger struck out the next two batters swinging to end the frame.
 
The Saints did not respond until the top of the third when Andy Bunton collected a one-out single in front of Jack Zebig's two-run home run to right field. Dominic Sharp doubled immediately after, Elias Stevens and Jacob Hager walked, and Josh Herget gave his team the lead with a two-RBI single up the middle. 
 
In the bottom of the third, Kroeger got two quick strikeouts, but SBU loaded the bases with two outs. The Saints' ace forced a ground ball 6-4 fielder's choice to neutralize the threat. 
 
Hager extended the Maryville lead by clubbing his eighth home run of the season in the fifth, but the Bearcats continued to claw their way back. A walk, a pair of singles, and an error allowed two runs to come home in the bottom of the fifth to draw the game to 6-4. 
 
Still in the bottom of the fifth, Drake Downing was called upon with runners on the corners and two outs. He walked his first batter to load the bases but ended the threat with a strikeout to cling to a two-run lead. 
 
Michael Long led off the sixth with a walk and came home to score on Bunton's RBI double to the right-field gap. Zebig drove in Bunton for his third RBI of the evening to extend the lead to 8-4.
 
The Bearcats got one in the seventh and a home run in the eighth to force Maryville to call in closer Noah Harbin out of the bullpen for the four-out save attempt. With a runner on second and two outs, the redshirt freshman got the batter looking for the third out. 
 
Stevens crushed a solo home run to lead off the ninth inning and Harbin slammed the door with a 1-2-3 bottom half of the ninth to earn his fourth save. 
 
Downing got the win on Friday with 2.1 innings, one earned, and three strikeouts. Kroeger went 4.2 with nine strikeouts and two earned runs and Harbin went 1.1 scoreless with three strikeouts. 
 
Winning Pitcher: Drake Downing (2-1)
Losing Pitcher: E. Smock (1-6)
Save: Noah Harbin (4)
  
Batting Leaders
Jack Zebig: 2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, SB
Jacob Hager: 2-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
Andy Bunton: 2-for-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R, BB
 
Records:
Maryville: 22-8, 15-2 GLVC
Southwest Baptist: 9-22, 6-11 GLVC
 
What's Next?
The Saints and the Bearcats continue the four-game series on Saturday, April 6, with a doubleheader. The first game is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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