Junior Bo Anderson banged his second home run of the season in Game 2 of Wash U’s doubleheader sweep over Aurora on Friday.
by Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
In a battle of top ranked Division III baseball clubs, the No. 2-ranked Washington University Bears continued its hottest start to a season in more than 40 years on Friday, by moving its record to 14-0, thanks to a doubleheader sweep over No. 5-ranked Aurora University.
The Bears never trailed in either game, winning Game 1, 3-2, and Game 2, 6-2. Aurora, which came into the day also undefeated, suffered its first two losses of the season.
In Game 1, senior Ryan Loutos(5-0) pitched eight magnificent innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits, with 12 strikeouts and just one walk. It was the third time this season Loutos struck out at least 12 opposing batters.
Junior shortstop Caleb Durbin was the offensive star of Game 1. He had three hits, an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base to lead the Bears. Teammates Johnny LaMantia and Clayton Miller had two hits apiece as well.
Junior catcher Zac Styka drove in LaMantia for the first run of the game with a double in the top of the fourth. Durbin singled in a run in the fifth and then later, scored on one of LaMantia’s hits to give Wash. U. a 3-0 lead.
Aurora got a run in the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings, but couldn’t tie the game, as senior reliever Jared Fong picked up his third save by closing out the game.
In Game 2, the Bears came out mashing and got five runs in the top of the second to take a quick lead.
Junior second baseman Tim Van Kirk got things going with a bases-loaded single that drove in two to Wash. U. on the board. The Bears pulled off a little baserunning trickeration to get their next run, as Van Kirk stole second and teammate Broghan O’Connor stole home on the same play to make it 3-0.
Miller then doubled home Van Kirk and Durbin followed with a double to score Miller to put Wash. U. up 5-0.
That was more than enough for starter Troy Bauer, who went five innings and allowed just one unearned run on six hits, with seven strikeouts and one walk. The only real trouble Bauer faced was when Aurora scored on a throwing error in the bottom of the third.
But the senior settled down to get through that inning and another two after that, before leaving with what would prove to be his third win (3-0) of the season. Senior Mitchell Black pitched the final four innings of the game and struck out five to get his first save of the season.
Junior Bo Anderson blasted his second homer of the season in top of the eighth to provide an extra insurance run.
The Bears will now take the rest of the weekend off, before returning to action next Friday, April 9, when they’ll host a doubleheader at Kelly Field against Westminster. Those two games will be the first of a weekend full of games for Wash. U., which will play a pair of doubleheaders next Saturday and Sunday against crosstown rival Webster University.
The games on Saturday will be at Kelly Field, while the games on Sunday will be at GCS Credit Union Ballpark in Sauget, Ill., which is where Webster plays its home games.