ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Playing the middle of their series, the No. 10 Washington University in St. Louis baseball team split a Saturday doubleheader with the University of Chicago at Kelly Field at Irv Utz Stadium. The Maroons picked up a 3-1 win in game one before WashU rebounded for a 12-2, run-rule win in game number two.

Chicago 3, WashU 1
It was a low-scoring affair in game one as the Maroons scored single runs in the first, third and sixth innings to earn the UAA victory.

In the top of the first, the Maroons led off with a single and a stolen base. Another single advanced the runner to third and the run would come in to score on a double play at first and second base.

Chicago would double their lead to 2-0 on a solo home run down the left field line in the top of the third. They added their final run in the top of the sixth. Another leadoff single would come around and score on a WashU fielding error, as the Maroons led 3-0.

The Bears got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning as sophomore Cooper Greene got a five-pitch walk with two outs. Sophomore Tyler Phillips followed with a double down the right field line that allowed Greene to score from second, trimming the lead down to 3-1. However, neither team would score again in the final three innings as Chicago took game one by the 3-1 margin.

Sophomore Ryan Soong, Greene and Phillips had the three hits for the Bears in the first game. Graduate Chase Brickley (6-1) took the loss, pitching the first five innings, striking out five.

WashU 12, Chicago 2 (8 inn.)
Despite the Maroons scoring first, game two of the doubleheader turned out to be the opposite of game one in favor of the Bears.

Chicago led off the top of the second with back-to-back singles. A fielder's choice bunt saw WashU get the lead runner going to third out. A third single of the inning saw the runner on second come around to score before the Maroons were caught stealing second, but not before a run scored, as Chicago led 2-0.

The Bears would answer in the bottom of the third. With two outs, graduate Josh Erpenbeck walked and advanced to second when first-year Chance Cromer was hit by a pitch. Soong walked to load the bases before Greene would walk in the Bears' first run of the game. First-year Jacob Witte would hit a bases-loaded single to right-center, scoring both Soong and Cromer before a Maroons fielding error allowed Equale to reach first and Greene to score. WashU would lead 4-2 after three.

The fourth inning saw the Bears add three more on three hits. Pellegrino opened with a single and took second when sophomore Miles Birke was hit by a pitch. An Erpenbeck sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out. Cromer would single down the right field line as Birke took third and Pellegrino scored. Cromer took second on a steal before Soong hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Birke. Greene followed with a single to center that scored Cromer from second as the Bears took a 7-2 lead.

Another hit by pitch, a Maroons throwing error and a walk saw the bases loaded with no outs in the bottom of the sixth. A fielder's choice by Soong saw runners on the corners while Birke scored for the second time. Greene would then smack the ball to center field that bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double, scoring Erpenbeck and increasing the WashU lead to 9-2.

The final runs came in the bottom of the eighth inning. With one out, Cromer singled up the middle. Soong followed him to the plate and slammed a hit to deep center field that bounced up at the fence and ricocheted away from the center fielder. The movement allowed not only Cromer to score from first, but Soong raced around the bases and nearly passed Cromer, scoring on an inside-the-park home run and putting WashU ahead 11-2.

Greene was next to the plate and doubled to left-center before senior Connor Lindsey pinch hit for Witte and hit a deep sacrifice fly to right field that the Maroons lightly threw the ball in on while Greene tagged up and raced home for the final run that saw the Bears claim the 12-2 win.

Greene led the way in game two, going 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs and two runs scored while walking once. Cromer and Witte each had a multi-hit game. Soong finished the contest going 1-for-3 with his home run while collecting four RBIs and scoring twice.

Senior Isaac Zhang earned the win, pitching the first seven innings while striking out two. Classmate Miles Quemuel-Labrador moved into a tie for second for all-time pitching appearances with his 51st time on the mound.

WashU and Chicago will wrap up their UAA series on Sunday, March 29 with a single game. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Kelly Field.


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