SAUGET, Ill. - Behind a relentless offensive showing from the Washington University in St. Louis baseball team, who is currently receiving votes in the latest d3baseball.com/NCBWA top-25 poll, scored at least one run in the first seven innings to snag the 10-6 victory over Webster University, Wednesday, March 20.
With the win, WashU's record upped to 14-5, while the Gorloks' record slipped to 7-8.
WashU outhit Webster by a final tally of 14-13.
Senior
Clayton Miller showcased his bat and arm in the victory. Miller notched a 2-for-3 showing at the plate, including a mammoth three-run home run. Miller finished the contest with four RBI and a pair of walks. On the mound, Miller tossed the final three innings and recorded his fifth save of the season.
On the mound, head coach
Pat Bloom deployed six pitchers to cover the nine frames. First year
Anderson Gomez took the win (2-0), logging 1.2 innings out of the bullpen.
WashU got on the board in the top of the first. After Dunn singled up the middle, who later advanced on a grounder to third, scored on a Miller double to left to give the Bears the early 1-0 lead.
The Bears added two runs, on three hits, in the top of the second. Junior
Braden Mazone led off with a single through the right side. Sophomore
Connor Lindsey then sent a single to right, allowing Mazone to race to third as WashU manufactured first and third, with no one out. Junior
Brandon Buday notched an RBI groundout to put the score at 2-0, in favor of WashU. With a runner on third, and two out, Pellegrino laced a single to left, to bring home Lindsey. A groundout ended the inning as the Bears grabbed the 3-0 cushion after one and a half innings of play.
Sophomore
Miles Quemuel-Labrador worked out of a bases loaded, one out, situation to keep the Gorloks off the board in the bottom of the second. With the bases full of Gorloks, Quemuel-Labrador fanned the next two hitters to thwart the chance. After two innings, WashU held the 3-0 lead.
Picking up where he left off on Sunday, Bernhard clubbed his fourth round-tripper of the season in the top of the third. Bernhard was first pitch swinging and sent a tape measure, solo blast well over the left field wall to push WashU's advantage to 4-0.
The Gorloks recorded a run in the bottom of the third to put the score at 4-1, in favor of the Bears.
After a Buday walk and a Pellegrino single, both swiped a bag to put Bears at second and third, with one out. Dunn put a ball in play to third, which allowed Buday to scamper home as Dunn was retired on the 5-3 putout. With three and half innings in the books, WashU owned the 5-1 cushion.
Webster smacked a solo round-tripper in the bottom of the fourth. Following the home run, the Bears held the 5-2 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Miller led off the frame with a base on balls, then Minarovic smoked a double to left to set up second and third, with no outs. A Mazone RBI groundout drove in Miller as the Bears regained its four run, 6-2, advantage heading into the bottom of the fifth.
First year
Townsend Stevenson came out of the Bears bullpen in the bottom of the fifth, with runners on first and second, with just one out. After a fly out and a walk, Stevenson induced a 4-6 fielder's choice to strand the bases loaded, which preserved the 6-2 WashU lead.
With two on and two down in the top of the sixth, Miller sent his third home run of the year over the right center field wall. Dunn and Bernhard, who each singled with two outs, scored on Miller's homer as the Bears stretched its lead to seven, 9-2, as the contest progressed to the bottom of the sixth.
Webster manufactured two runs in the bottom of the sixth to trim WashU's cushion to five, 9-4.
In the top of seventh, graduate student
Sam Polk, who reached via a base on balls, scooted to third on a Buday single to right center. With Polk on third, the Webster pitcher balked, allowing Lindsey to jog home on the miscue. The Bears took the six run, 10-4, advantage heading into the bottom of the seventh.
The Gorloks added two runs in the bottom of the seventh on a fielding miscue. After the runs scored, Miller got the Bears out of the jam with a key 6-4-3 twin killing to end the seventh with WashU ahead, 10-6.
The Bears, looking to break the game open, stranded the bases loaded in the top of the eighth to keep the four run, 10-6, lead.
Miller, looking for the three-inning save, ended the game on a pop up to the shortstop to secure the 10-6 victory.
The Bears will next host University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, who is ranked No. 9 in the latest d3baseball.com/NCBWA top-25 poll, for a three-game set, Saturday-Sunday, March 23-24. The two will tangle in a doubleheader (12 p.m. and 3 p.m. starts) on Saturday, followed by a single game (12 p.m. first pitch) on Sunday.
