ST. LOUIS – The home opener has come and gone for the Maryville baseball team, and it brought a pair of wins over the Northwood Timberwolves.

The Saints swept both games, winning game one 5-3 and game two 4-3, powered by crooked numbers in both first innings.

Braeden Sunken got the win in game one, striking out 10 over 6 1/3 innings while allowing just two runs to highlight the opener. Dominic Anselmo led the offense, going 2 for 4 with three RBIs.

Jack Meyer was also an engine for the Saints, finishing 2 for 2 with two RBIs and a stolen base.

Out of the bullpen, it was a career day for young Colin Greiner, as he recorded saves in both games.

GAME 1 | Maryville 5, Northwood 3
A three-up, three-down first frame by Sunken set the tone for the contest. The offense rewarded him immediately as a Jace Burton single and a Meyer hit-by-pitch set up Anselmo for a bases-clearing double and a 2-0 lead.

It held that way until the fifth, when Burton blasted the first Weber Field home run of the season for the Saints to make it 3-0.

The Timberwolves brought it within one, plating runs in both the sixth and seventh on RBI singles before Meyer and Anselmo shut the door with RBIs to make it 5-2 heading into the final two frames.

A final Northwood push came in the top of the ninth, but Greiner shut it down for the save.

GAME 2 | Maryville 4, Northwood
The seven-inning affair of the doubleheader saw instant action again for both squads. Brayden Rubel toed the rubber and immediately worked into and out of trouble, stranding the bases loaded in the first.

Much like game one, the Saints offense got on it quickly, plating three runs on a Meyer two-run double and a Schneider RBI triple to push the Timberwolves starter out of the game just two outs into his start.

It was quiet baseball from there, with no runs scored until Maryville added a fourth run in the fifth. Burton scored from third on a wild pitch, which proved to be the difference.

Northwood made it interesting in the final frames, bringing it within one and forcing a second Greiner save of the day.

Three different Saints doubled in the game, with Burton, Meyer and Aaris Stolte all collecting extra-base hits. The Saints were aggressive on the basepaths as well, with Dominic Sharp, Meyer and Zane Timon each swiping a bag.

UP NEXT
The series finale is tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 21 at 12 p.m.