ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The No. 23 Washington University in St. Louis baseball team opened UAA play on Friday with a doubleheader against Case Western Reserve at Kelly Field at Irv Utz Stadium. The Spartans used big innings late in both games to pull away for a pair of wins over the Bears.

Game 1: CWRU 13, WashU 7
The Spartans used the long ball to secure their win in game one against WashU in the first conference game of the season for both teams. CWRU jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first with a two-run home run.

The Bears cut the lead in half in the bottom part of the frame. With the bases loaded, the Spartan pitcher balked off the mound, allowing all runners to advance, scoring senior Brandon Buday, who was on third.

Graduate Josh Erpenbeck led off the bottom of the second with a triple to left-center and was followed by classmate Will Yarbro, who doubled to left, scoring Erpenbeck to tie the game, 2-2. With one out, Buday stepped in and hit his second extra-base hit of the contest with a triple to center, scoring Yarbro and giving WashU the 3-2 lead.

In the fourth, WashU would get runners on second and third with two outs. Yarbro then singled through the left side, scoring Greene, who had previously reached on a fielder's choice, giving the Bears a 4-2 lead.

Unfortunately, those were the last runs WashU would score until the bottom of the ninth while the Spartans scored twice in the fourth, six runs in the fifth, and three in the top of the ninth.

With CWRU up 13-4, WashU would score three times in the bottom of the ninth on five hits, but a flyout would end the rally and give the Spartans the 13-7 win.

Buday led WashU at the plate, just a home run shy of the cycle as he collected three hits (a single, double, and a triple). He also finished with two runs scored and an RBI. Junior Shane Pellegrino and Yarbro each had a pair of hits.

Sophomore Townsend Stevenson took the loss in 3.1 innings pitched. He ended with seven walks and two strikeouts.

Game 2: CWRU 12, WashU 9
It looked like the Spartans would pick up where they left off, as they scored the first six runs of game two. After scoring once in the top of the third, CWRU scored five runs in the top of the fourth for a 6-0 lead.

Proving no lead is truly safe, WashU responded in a big way in its half of the fourth inning. Graduate Noah Reichman led off with a walk and reached second on a single by Pellegrino. First-year Will Taigen followed with a single to center that allowed Pellegrino to reach second and Reichman to score. A walk to junior Connor Lindsey loaded the bases. After back-to-back outs by the Spartans, CWRU then pitched back-to-back walks, scoring two more runs, cutting the Spartan lead down to 6-3.

A single and a walk for the Bears brought WashU back within one, 6-5 with bases still loaded. Pellegrino got his second hit of the inning with a single through the left side, scoring both graduate Colter Couillard-Rodak, who had reached on a single earlier, and Buday, giving WashU a 7-6 lead.

CWRU responded immediately in the top of the fifth with four more runs to retake the lead 10-7. Both teams would score a single run in their respective half-innings in both the sixth and seventh.

Daylight became an issue, forcing the game to end before the 9-innings it was scheduled for. However, since seven innings were completed, the game was considered official, and all stats and the score are considered final with the Spartans taking game two, 12-9.

Both Buday and senior Braden Mazone hit doubles against the Spartans while Couillard-Rodak, Pellegrino, and Taigen each had two hits in the contest.

Senior Sebastian Guzman took the loss in relief, pitching just 0.2 innings while allowing the first two runs of the fifth inning, when the Spartans took the lead for good.

WashU will close out the weekend with a doubleheader against the Spartans on Saturday, March 29. The Bears are recognizing the games as part of Military Appreciation Day with a special ceremonial first pitch and the presentation of the flags by the WashU ROTC Color Guard. Game time is scheduled for 11 a.m.