ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Washington University in St. Louis baseball team dropped a pair to No. 9 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Sunday, March 24. The two played the ninth inning from yesterday's suspended game and then finished the three-game set with a single contest. The Bears fell to the Eagles by final scores of 16-13 and 13-3. 

 

With the two loses, WashU's record sits at 14-8, while UWL's record jumped to 8-3. 

 

The Eagles took game two of the series by a final score of 16-13. 

 

La Crosse outhit WashU by a final tally of 19-14. Sophomore Shane Pellegrino, junior Brandon Buday, graduate student Evan Minarovic, senior Kaden Bernhard, and senior Zac Malis each recorded two hits apiece. Bernhard led the Bears with his three RBI. 

 

Graduate student Matt Lopes got the nod on the mound. Lopes fired four innings and allowed five runs. 

 

La Crosse raced out to the quick 3-0 lead after tallying four hits in the top of the first. 

 

WashU stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the second. Buday put a grounder in play to the right side and the Eagle second basemen made a diving stop to retire the side and to keep WashU off the board. After two innings of play, La Crosse held the 3-0 cushion. 

 

The Bears got out of a bases loaded, no out, situation in the top of the third. Minarovic fielded a grounder at third, fired home to junior Braden Mazone, then Mazone fired a strike to senior Harry Mauterer at first to complete the 5-2-3 twin killing. Lopes then struck out the next hitter to keep the deficit at 3-0. 

 

La Crosse added a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to snag the 5-0 cushion. 

 

The Bears knotted the score at 5-5 in the bottom of the fifth. WashU's first three hitters reached base to load the bases with singles by Pellegrino and Buday, then senior Clayton Miller walked to warrant an Eagle pitching change. After an infield fly, Minarovic, Mauterer, and graduate student Sam Polk each drew free passes as the Bears cut the deficit to 5-3 on three straight walks. 

 

After another pitching change, Bernhard fisted a single to shallow right that allowed all three Bears to advance 90 feet on the RBI single to put the score at 5-4, in favor of La Crosse. Malis then drew another bases loaded walk to even the score at 5-5. 

 

The Eagles exploded for six runs in the top of the sixth to generate the 11-5 cushion. 

 

WashU notched a run in the bottom of the sixth on a Minarovic ground-rule double to right as La Crosse owned the 11-6 advantage as the game progressed to the top of the seventh. 

 

The Bears responded with four runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut its deficit to just one, 11-10. Buday recorded an RBI single, then Clayton Miller smoked a single, which brought home two as the Eagle left fielder had difficulty fielding the chance to put the score at 11-9. Coming off the bench, junior Justin Zachery went with an outside offering and deposited a single to right as Clayton Miller scored to get the Bears within one run, 11-10. With seven innings in the books, La Crosse clung to the one-run, 11-10, lead. 

 

The Eagles registered five runs in the top of the eighth to open up the six-run, 16-10, advantage. 

 

After the contest resumed, WashU started the bottom of the ninth with a Minarovic hit by pitch. Senior Jack Miller then placed a shallow single down the right field line to set up first and second, with one out. Bernhard then roped a line drive two bagger to right center, allowing Minarovic and Jack Miller to score as WashU trimmed the deficit to 16-12. With Bernhard on second, Pellegrino stepped up to the plate and delivered an RBI single to get the Bears within three, 16-13. 

 

The Eagles induced a flyout to end the contest and to secure the 16-13 victory. 

 

The Eagles outhit WashU by a final tally of 17-9. Clayton Miller and Minarovic each assembled two-hit afternoons. 

 

La Crosse scored five runs in the top of the first to snag the early 5-0 advantage. 

 

The Bears got one run back in the bottom of the first on a Minarovic double down the left field line that brought home Buday, who singled and stole second earlier in the frame. After one inning of play, the Eagles held the 5-1 lead. 

 

The Eagles secured a run in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly to left to generate the 6-1 cushion. 

 

Coming off the bench to pinch hit, sophomore Connor Lindsey, with runners on first and second, laced a double to center, scoring Clayton Miller who singled earlier in the frame to put the score at 6-2. After the base knock, Bernhard tallied an RBI on a groundout to second, which allowed to Minarovic to race home to cut the deficit to 6-3. With three innings in the books, La Crosse held the 6-3 lead. 

 

The Eagles sprung for four runs in the top of the fourth and three in the sixth to secure the 13-3 advantage. 

 

La Crosse took the third and final game of the series by a final score of 13-3. 

 

WashU will begin University Athletic Association (UAA) play by hosting a four-game set against New York University, Friday-Sunday, March 29-31. The two will open the series with a single contest on Friday, March 29. First pitch from Kelly Field is scheduled for 3 p.m.