UMSL junior Braedon Stoakes had 10 hits, including his fifth HR of the season, in the Tritons’ four wins over Truman State over the weekend. (Photo courtesy: UMSL Athletics)
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
KIRKSVILLE, MO — The University of Missouri-St. Louis baseball team completed a four-game sweep and extended its current winning streak to seven straight games when it defeated Truman State twice on Saturday by scores of 9-4 and 7-1. The Tritons began the weekend by knocking off the Bearcats twice on Friday by scores of 8-2 and 6-0.
UMSL is now 16-9 on the season and 8-4 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. The 16 wins is tied for the most of any team in the GLVC and the 8-4 mark has the Tritons in fourth place in the conference standings — 1/2 game behind third place Drury and a full game behind second place Maryville, which has two games against Lewis on Sunday.
Game 1, Friday, March 22 – UMSL 8, Truman St. 2
Sophomore Justin Simard had three hits and five RBIs to lead the Triton offense. UMSL jumped on top with two runs in the top of the first inning and led the entire game.
Junior Braedon Stoakes had four hits and senior Mitchell Green had three hits as well. Fellow junior RJ Elmore (2-3) pitched a complete game to get the win, allowing just two runs and striking out seven.
Game 2, Friday, March 22 – UMSL 6, Truman St. 0
UMSL scored all its runs in the second inning of Game 2. The Tritons only had three hits in the game, but took advantage of some wildness on the mound from Truman State pitcher Ty Rauser, who gave up two hits, four walks and threw five wild pitches in that one inning.
Simard had two hits, giving him five hits on the day.
Junior Zach Haygood (3-0) pitched the second complete game of the day for the Tritons. He went seven innings and gave up seven hits, but struck out five and walked just one.
Game 1, Saturday, March 23 – UMSL 9, Truman St. 4
The Tritons jumped on the Bulldogs right away, scoring five runs in the top of the first.
Stoakes hit a solo home run to get the scoring started — his fifth of the season. Then teammate Andrew Buescher followed with a two-run shot — his team-leading sixth of the season — to get UMSL going.
The Tritons added three more runs in the second to go up 8-0. Buescher finished with three hits and three RBIs, as did third baseman Logan McIntyre.
Starting pitcher Dustin Hagens (3-3) pitched 5 1/3 innings to get the win. He allowed three hits and four runs, but also struck out a season-high 12.
Game 2, Saturday, March 23 – UMSL 7, Truman St. 1
Junior first baseman Barrett Rose hit a grand slam in the third inning to get UMSL on the board in the final game of the weekend. McIntyre added his second homer of the day in the fourth and that proved to be more than enough for the Tritons to complete the sweep over the Bulldogs.
Sophomore lefthander Garrett Brunstetter (3-2) pitched seven strong innings for UMSL, allowing just one run on six hits, with one walk, and a career-high 10 strikeouts.
UMSL will look to keep rolling with a big series next weekend, when it takes on crosstown rival, Maryville, in a four-game set at that school’s Weber Field in Chesterfield.
UMSL TRITONS 2024 BASEBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | Site | Opponent | Location | ||
| March 28, 2024 (Thursday) | 2 p.m. | Away | Maryville | Chesterfield, Mo. / Weber Field | ||
| March 29, 2024 (Friday) | 1 p.m. | Away | Maryville | Chesterfield, Mo. / Weber Field | ||
| March 29, 2024 (Friday) | 4 p.m. | Away | Maryville | Chesterfield, Mo. / Weber Field | ||
| March 30, 2024 (Saturday) | 12 p.m. | Away | Maryville | Chesterfield, Mo. / Weber Field | ||
| April 5, 2024 (Friday) | 2 p.m. | Home | William Jewell | UMSL Baseball Field | ||
| April 6, 2024 (Saturday) | 12 p.m. | Home | William Jewell | UMSL Baseball Field | ||
| April 6, 2024 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Home | William Jewell | UMSL Baseball Field | ||
| April 7, 2024 (Sunday) | 1 p.m. | Home | William Jewell | UMSL Baseball Field | ||
| April 12, 2024 (Friday) | 5 p.m. | Away | Southwest Baptist | Bolivar, Mo. / Dodson Field | ||
| April 13, 2024 (Saturday) | 1 p.m. | Away | Southwest Baptist | Bolivar, Mo. / Dodson Field | ||
| April 13, 2024 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Away | Southwest Baptist | Bolivar, Mo. / Dodson Field | ||
| April 14, 2024 (Sunday) | 12 p.m. | Away | Southwest Baptist | Bolivar, Mo. / Dodson Field | ||
| April 16, 2024 (Tuesday) | 2 p.m. | Home | Harris-Stowe | UMSL Baseball Field | ||
| April 19, 2024 (Friday) | 2 p.m. | Home | McKendree | UMSL Baseball Field | ||
| April 20, 2024 (Saturday) | 12 p.m. | Home | McKendree | UMSL Baseball Field | ||
| April 20, 2024 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Home | McKendree | UMSL Baseball Field | ||
| April 21, 2024 (Sunday) | 1 p.m. | Home | McKendree | UMSL Baseball Field | ||
| April 26, 2024 (Friday) | 2 p.m. | Away | Upper Iowa | Fayette, Iowa / Robertson Woods Field | ||
| April 27, 2024 (Saturday) | 1 p.m. | Away | Upper Iowa | Fayette, Iowa / Robertson Woods Field | ||
| April 27, 2024 (Saturday) | 4 p.m. | Away | Upper Iowa | Fayette, Iowa / Robertson Woods Field | ||
| April 28, 2024 (Sunday) | 12 p.m. | Away | Upper Iowa | Fayette, Iowa / Robertson Woods Field | ||
| May 2, 2024 (Thursday) | 2 p.m. | Home | Missouri S&T | UMSL Baseball Field | ||
| May 3, 2024 (Friday) | 2 p.m. | Home | Missouri S&T | UMSL Baseball Field | ||
| May 4, 2024 (Saturday) | 12 p.m. | Home | Missouri S&T | UMSL Baseball Field | ||
| May 4, 2024 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Home | Missouri S&T | UMSL Baseball Field | ||
| May 8, 2024 (Wednesday) | TBA | Neutral | GLVC Tournament | Marion, Ill. / Mtn. Dew Park |