MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Facing a three-run deficit in the ninth, the Washington University in St. Louis baseball team tallied six runs to steal the 15-12 victory over Rhodes, Tuesday, March 12. Sophomore
Shane Pellegrino's go-ahead three-run home run in the ninth highlighted the comeback efforts for the Bears.
With the comeback victory, WashU's offense put up 10-plus runs for the fifth straight game. Also with the win, the Bears' record upped to 10-3, while Rhodes' record dipped to 8-8 on the year.
Offensively, senior
Kaden Bernhard paced the Bears' day at the plate, producing a 3-for-5 afternoon, with three runs scored.
Braemer racked up a team-high five RBI in the victory.
Both teams complied 16 hits in the contest.
On the mound, head coach
Pat Bloom deployed four pitchers to cover the nine innings of work. Junior
Hank Weiss got the win out of the bullpen, while senior
Clayton Miller was credited with the save.
WashU tagged Rhodes for five runs, on three hits, to manufacture the early 5-0 first inning advantage. After WashU's leadoff hitter was retired, the next five Bears reached safety. Pellegrino got the inning started with a walk, then scampered to second on a wild pitch. Mazone then laced a single as Pellegrino ran home to give WashU the 1-0 lead.
After the base knock, Miller walked and Bernhard singled to set up bases loaded, with only one out. Following a strike out, Braemer stepped up to the plate and deposited a grand slam to push WashU's advantage to five at 5-0. The round-tripper marked Braemer's first of the season.
However, Rhodes responded with a six-run bottom of the first to take the 6-5 lead after the first inning of play. The Lynx scattered five hits in the frame.
Rhodes scored twice in the bottom of the third to snag the three-run, 8-5, cushion as the game progressed to the top of the fourth.
In the top of the fifth, after Mazone led off the inning with a four-pitch walk, Miller found a pitch to his liking and did not miss it. Miller deposited an offering over the centerfield fence to get the Bears within one, 8-7, as Mazone scored on the long ball.
With two on and two out in the bottom of the fifth, Rhodes notched a two RBI triple to left to put the score at 10-7, in favor of the Lynx.
WashU's offense continued to chip away at the deficit, scoring a run in the top of the sixth to trim Rhodes' lead to a pair, 10-8. Pellegrino, with the bases clear and no one out, laced a double down the left field line to get himself into scoring position. Mazone drove in Pellegrino on a hit through the left side to put the score at 10-8 heading to the bottom of the sixth.
Rhodes manufactured two runs in the bottom of the sixth to grab the four-run, 12-8, advantage.
With both offenses firing on all cylinders, the Bears grabbed a run in the top of the seventh on a Dunn RBI that scored Bernhard, who doubled earlier in the frame. Rhodes held the three-run, 12-9, cushion going into the home half of the seventh.
Facing a three-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth, the Bears scored six runs to take the 15-12 lead.
Bernhard got things rolling with a single and then junior
Justin Zachery followed with a single of his own to set up first and third, with no one out. Braemer put a ball in play to third, which allowed Bernhard to score to put the scoreboard at 12-10. Later in the inning, senior
Jack Miller, who entered the contest as a pinch runner, scored on a failed pickoff attempt as the Bears were down by one, 12-11. With a runner on second, Minarovic torched an RBI single to knot the score at 12-all.
After a Buday single put runners on first and second, Pellegrino digged into the batters box and belted a go-ahead, three-run, homer to give WashU the 15-12 heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Miller moved from second to the mound and threw a scoreless ninth to notch the save.
The Bears will close out its road trip with another contest against Rhodes, tomorrow, Wednesday, March 13. First pitch from Stauffer Field is scheduled for 12 p.m.
