MAGNOLIA, Ark. – It was an explosive start to the 2026 campaign for Maryville baseball, as the Saints topped Southern Arkansas 9-2 on the road. Maryville tallied five home runs from four different players in the season opener.
Jace Burton,
Dominic Sharp and
Justin Gorski each homered, while Bradley transfer
Dominic Anselmo launched two long balls in his first game as a Saint. On the mound, Braden Sunken was dominant, striking out seven over six innings while allowing just one earned run.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Burton, the reigning GLVC Co-Freshman of the Year, kicked off his 2026 season with a bang, tallying an inside-the-park home run in his first at-bat of the year to give Maryville a 1-0 lead after one inning. Anselmo followed with his first homer as a Saint in the second frame, launching a shot to left-center in his first at-bat of the season.
As Sunken continued to deal on the mound, the Saints' bats stayed hot. Gorski went yard to right in the fourth, and Sharp blasted a solo shot in the fifth to extend the lead to 6-1.
Sharp added an RBI triple in the seventh, and
Jack Meyer followed with an RBI single one at-bat later to push the advantage to 8-1.
Anselmo capped his debut with his second home run of the game in the eighth. Southern Arkansas attempted a late rally but managed just one run on a 6-4-3 double play.
Nolan Miller handled the bullpen duties for the Saints, striking out two over three innings to earn his first save of the season.
UP NEXT
The Saints return to action in Magnolia, Ark., Saturday at noon for the first game of a doubleheader.
