ROLLA, Mo. – The Maryville baseball team, currently tied for third place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), opened a crucial four-game set against GLVC-leading Missouri S&T with a statement, earning a 17-9 win in the series opener.
The Saints racked up 17 hits over nine innings, blasting three home runs, two triples and four doubles en route to a pair of five-run innings.
Dominic Anselmo led the offensive surge, going 5-for-5 with six RBIs, including two home runs, his fifth and sixth of the season.
Tim Leark, making just his seventh start and eighth appearance, finished a single shy of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with a three-run homer in the sixth inning.
History was also made, as
Jack Meyer's two doubles pushed his season total to 22, breaking the program record for doubles in a single season. He also leads the nation in the category.
HOW IT HAPPENED
A three-run first inning gave the Saints an early advantage, with Anselmo recording his first RBI of the day and Leark adding an RBI triple.
The game went blow-for-blow from there, as S&T scored in the second before
Aaris Stolte answered with an RBI single in the third to make it 4-1. Maryville extended the lead to 6-1 behind doubles from Meyer and Anselmo.
The Miners responded with five runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to one, but the Saints quickly answered in the sixth.
Justin Gorski led off the inning with a triple, setting the tone for an eight-batter frame. RBIs from
Matthew Rauser and Anselmo, along with Leark's three-run homer, highlighted the surge.
S&T attempted to rally with two runs in the seventh, but another five-run outburst in the ninth sealed the win for Maryville.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Noah Leingang pitched a one-two-three eighth inning, marking his fourth-straight appearance without an earned run. He has thrown five innings over that span, giving up just two hits and one walk while striking out four.
- Anselmo now hold the team lead in batting average with a .368 mark, exploding over the second half of the season. Since March 27, he is batting .407 with a 1.247 OPS with a team leading 25 RBIs over that span.
UP NEXT
Maryville and Missouri S&T continue the series tomorrow in Rolla, Mo., battling in a doubleheader format tomorrow at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
