ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The No. 20 Washington University in St. Louis baseball team swept (RV) Coe in their home opener on Saturday on Kelly Field at Irv Utz Stadium. With the wins, the Bears improve to 5-0 on the season.
Game 1: WashU 14, Coe 4 (7 inn.)
The Bears scored at least one run in each of the first seven innings as WashU claimed its third run-rule win of the season.
First-year
Chance Cromer scored in the bottom of the first after reaching first on a Kohawk error and reaching third on a single by sophomore
Kevin Stephens. He crossed the plate on a groundout by first-year
Jacob Witte.
After the Kohawks jumped ahead with three runs in the top of the second, the Bears cut the lead down to one when sophomore
Cooper Greene scored in the bottom of the frame off a single by Cromer to shortstop.
Coe went back up by two, 4-2, with a run in the top of the third before WashU answered once again in the bottom of the inning. After Witte reached on a fielder's choice, a single by sophomore
Will Taigen pushed him to third. He went on to score off a wild pitch, putting the Bears back within one at 4-3.
With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Cromer singled up the middle and was followed by a home run from Stephens, the first of his career, to put WashU back on top, 5-4.
The Bears opened the game wide open in the bottom of the fifth with five runs on five hits. Witte, Taigen, Greene, and senior
Shane Pellegrino all scored on a batted ball while Cromer scored on a double steal from third. The Bears led 10-4 after the fifth.
The lead was extended two more in the bottom of the sixth with two more hits as WashU led 12-4. Sophomore
Miles Birke and Cromer both collected RBIs in the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, first-year
Drew Dillon led off with a single up the middle before junior
Anthony Equale hit his own single to left center, pushing Dillon to second. First-year
Eli Sitzer came in and pinch ran for Witte and loaded the bases with a walk.
Taigen had a hard-hit single to third, scoring Dillon. After first-year
Tyler Phillips came in to pinch run for Equale, Greene hit a single to left center scoring Phillips for the 10-run threshold after seven innings, 14-4.
The Bears finished with 17 hits to go along with their 14 runs.
Game 2: WashU 3, Coe 2 (11 inn.)
The offensive barrage of game one was not found in game two. Despite a combined 12 hits, each apiece, the teams only scored five total runs.
WashU put up the first run of the game in the bottom of the third when Pellegrino scored on a double by Cromer after reaching on his own single through the left side.
The 1-0 lead held up until the top of the eighth when the Kohawks scored on a bases-loaded single up the middle, scoring two. WashU went three-up, three-down in the bottom of the eighth and Coe followed with three batters in the top of the ninth.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Witte doubled down the right field line and reached third on a wild pitch. After Equale reached on a walk, Dillon singled through the right side, scoring Witte and tying the score 2-2 after nine innings.
A scoreless 10th and top of the 11th led to WashU in the bottom of the 11th. With daylight dwindling and two outs, Witte singled up the middle and Equale followed once again with a single through the left side. After Dillon loaded
the bases, Taigen earned a full-count walk scoring Witte and giving the Bears the Saturday sweep 3-2.
The two teams will wrap up their three-game series on Sunday, Mar. 1 at 11 a.m.
-------
Elevating scholar-champions requires resources beyond the institutional budget. Through the W Club, generous alumni, parents, and friends provide unrestricted support that is essential to the extraordinary WashU student-athlete experience—and the ongoing growth and development of the department. Annual support for Athletics allows the Bears to consistently rise to national levels of competition and ensures that our student-athletes enjoy exceptional opportunities as they train, compete, and lead. To make a gift to the Annual Fund for Athletics, please visit our secure online giving form or contact the Athletics Advancement Office at athletics@wustl.edu.
