The UMSL Tritons are third in the GLVC with a team batting average of .324 and are second with 79 stolen bases. (Photo courtesy: UMSL Athletics)

Cedric Williams
Senior Editor

NORMANDY, MO — The University of Missouri-St. Louis baseball team won a blowout and then three straight one-run games in claiming a four-game series sweep this weekend at the UMSL Baseball Field against Great Lakes Valley Conference foe, William Jewell.

UMSL won Game 1, 6-1, on Friday. Then it swept a doubleheader on Saturday by scores of 5-4 and 2-1. And finally on Saturday, the Tritons held off a late WJC rally for an 8-7 win.

The four wins lifted UMSL’s overall record to 20-13 and its GLVC mark to 12-8. The Tritons are tied for fourth place in the GLVC with Rockhurst. The top three teams in the GLVC standings are Maryville (18-2), Indianapolis (16-4), Drury (15-5).

Friday, April 5 – UMSL 6, William Jewell 1
Junior pitcher RJ Elmore (3-4) tossed an absolute gem in the series opener on Friday. The righthander from Mesa, Ariz., came just one out shy of tossing a complete game, as he went 8 2/3 innings and allowed just one run on seven hits, with two walks and two strikeouts.

Junior centerfielder Braedon Stokes had three hits and sophomore third baseman Justin Simard had two hits and three RBIs to lead the UMSL offense. Junior first baseman Barrett Rose had an RBI hit and a bases loaded walk to contibute as well.

Saturday, April 6 – UMSL 5, William Jewell 4
Three UMSL hitters had two hits apiece and three UMSL pitchers held William Jewell to five hits total in a nine-inning win in Game 1 of the doubleheader on Saturday.

Andrew Buescher drove in two runs in the bottom of the third inning to give the Tritons the lead, and Zach Beatty added an RBI hit in the fifth to make it 3-0, before William Jewell tied the score with three runs in the top of the sixth.

Dane Stevenson gave UMSL back the lead with an RBI hit in the bottom of the sixth, which looked like it might be the one to win the game. But William Jewell’s Alex Epp launched a leadoff homer in the top of the seventh to tie the score and send the game to extra innings.

Fortunately, before William Jewell could get another run, UMSL got a jam shot, basehit by Logan Mantz that scored Bryce Kulinski to win the game.

Reliever Trent Anderson (2-0) got the win.

Saturday, April 6 – UMSL 2, William Jewell 1
Game 2 on Saturday was the one game all weekend where William Jewell had the lead most of the game.

The Cardinals got their run in the top of the first, after beginning the game with three straight hits against UMSL’s Zach Haygood. That would be the only run he’d give up the entire game, and he only allowed one more hit the rest of the game as well.

Haygood (4-1), a junior righthander from Cape Girardeau, who came to UMSL after pitching two seasons at Three Rivers Community College, pitched a complete game with the one run and four hits allowed. He also walked a man and struck out three.

It was Haygood’s third win in his last four starts. But he had to have some help and that came from the bottom of the Triton lineup.

First, No. 9 hitter Simard tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth. Then, after a pair of runners reached in the bottom of the seventh on hit by pitch and walk, No. 7 hitter Logan Mantz drilled a single up the middle to score Stokes and give UMSL its second walkoff win of the day.

Sunday, April 7 – UMSL 8, William Jewell 7
In the final game of the series, UMSL grabbed the lead early, then had to keep fighting off rallies by the Cardinals to hold on and win the game.

The Tritons led 3-0, 6-3, and 8-5, before William Jewell scored two runs in the eighth to make it 8-7. The Cardinals were even able to get the tying run on base in the ninth, with the potential go-ahead run at the plate. But UMSL was able to get the final out for the win and the four-game sweep.

Three UMSL batters had two hits and three had two RBIs. Catcher Garrett Strenger was on both lists. Stoakes and Beatty each had two hits, while Simard and Mitchell Green were the other two players with two RBIs.

Brady Krile (2-1) got the win on the mound and teammate Trent Anderson pitched a scoreless ninth to get his team-leading fifth save.

UMSL will be on the road next weekend when it travels to Bolivar, Mo., to play a four-game series against Southwest Baptist.

The Tritons next home game will come on Tuesday, April 16, when the club will host Harris-Stowe. First pitch at the UMSL Baseball Field that day will be 2 p.m.

UMSL TRITONS 2024 BASEBALL SCHEDULE

DateTimeSiteOpponentLocation
April 12, 2024 (Friday)5 p.m.AwaySouthwest BaptistBolivar, Mo. / Dodson Field
April 13, 2024 (Saturday)1 p.m.AwaySouthwest BaptistBolivar, Mo. / Dodson Field
April 13, 2024 (Saturday)3 p.m.AwaySouthwest BaptistBolivar, Mo. / Dodson Field
April 14, 2024 (Sunday)12 p.m.AwaySouthwest BaptistBolivar, Mo. / Dodson Field
April 16, 2024 (Tuesday)2 p.m.HomeHarris-StoweUMSL Baseball Field
April 19, 2024 (Friday)2 p.m.HomeMcKendreeUMSL Baseball Field
April 20, 2024 (Saturday)12 p.m.HomeMcKendreeUMSL Baseball Field
April 20, 2024 (Saturday)3 p.m.HomeMcKendreeUMSL Baseball Field
April 21, 2024 (Sunday)1 p.m.HomeMcKendreeUMSL Baseball Field
April 26, 2024 (Friday)2 p.m.AwayUpper IowaFayette, Iowa / Robertson Woods Field
April 27, 2024 (Saturday)1 p.m.AwayUpper IowaFayette, Iowa / Robertson Woods Field
April 27, 2024 (Saturday)4 p.m.AwayUpper IowaFayette, Iowa / Robertson Woods Field
April 28, 2024 (Sunday)12 p.m.AwayUpper IowaFayette, Iowa / Robertson Woods Field
May 2, 2024 (Thursday)2 p.m.HomeMissouri S&TUMSL Baseball Field
May 3, 2024 (Friday)2 p.m.HomeMissouri S&TUMSL Baseball Field
May 4, 2024 (Saturday)12 p.m.HomeMissouri S&TUMSL Baseball Field
May 4, 2024 (Saturday)3 p.m.HomeMissouri S&TUMSL Baseball Field
May 8, 2024 (Wednesday)TBANeutralGLVC TournamentMarion, Ill. / Mtn. Dew Park