ST. LOUIS – The pitching staff of the Maryville baseball team was in full display, defeating the William Jewell Cardinals 6-2 to open the series against the William Jewell Cardinals. 

Braeden Sunken and Blake Sivak combined for nine innings of work, with Sunken picking up the win after six-innings of work with one earned run, while Sivak earned his first career save, tossing three scoreless frames out of the bullpen. 

INS & OUTS
The Cardinals struck first, plating a pair in the third, taking advantage of a Saints fielding miscue to put runners at the corners with no outs. A single and then a double plated a pair of runs, but two big strikeouts and a fly out from Sunken limited further damage.

Maryville, after putting together a clean top of the fourth, responded with runs in the next five straight innings. Brady Kindhardt and Dominic Anselmo both plated runs on RBI groundouts in the fourth and fifth, tying the game. 

The winning run came off the bat of Jace Burton as he ripped one through the right side, scoring Kindhardt. 

A pair of RBI triples, one by Steven Schneider and one by Matthew Rauser were the dagger in the game as the Saints took the opener. 

UP NEXT
The Saints continue the series tomorrow for the doubleheader of the four-game set, starting at 1 & 4 p.m.