The UMSL Tritons baseball team began its 2024 season on Friday, with a loss in its opener, but a win in Game 2. (Photo: Thomas Grove)

NCAA Baseball – Game 1123456789RHE
UMSL (0-1)0040101208142
West Alabama (1-0)53010000X973

W: Jared Kelly (1-0) L: Cody Brooks (0-1) S: Gates Pee (1)

NCAA Baseball – Game 21234567RHE
UMSL (1-1)0010031573
West Alabama (1-1)0112000451

W: Jacob Arndt (1-0) L: Cade Miller (0-1) S: Trent Anderson (1)

Cedric Williams
Senior Editor

LIVINGSTON, AL — The first games of the 2024 NCAA college baseball season took place on Friday, when the University of Missouri-St. Louis Tritons traveled down south to take on the West Alabama Tigers in a doubleheader at UWA’s Tartt Field.

The teams split the twinbill, as UWA won Game 1, 9-8, but UMSL responded by winning Game 2, 5-4.

In Game 1, UWA pounced on UMSL starter Cody Brooks (0-1) and scored eight runs — all earned — in the first two innings. The key blow was a three-run homer hit by UWA’s Nick Thibodeau in the bottom of the first.

The Tritons rallied though, and scored four runs in the top of the third. Logan McIntyre and Andrew Buescher both singled in runs, before Garrett Strenger drove in two with a double.

West Alabama got a run back in the bottom of the fourth, which proved important, as UMSL added single runs in the fifth and seventh, then got two more in the eighth. Buescher came to the plate with a chance to tie the game, but grounded into a double play to end the eighth inning.

The Tritons then went three-up, three-down in the ninth to end the game.

Buescher and Jake Isaacs both had three hits, while McIntyre and Braedon Stokes both had two, as UMSL finished the opener with 14 hits.

Pitchers Brady Krile and Zach Haygood tossed the final 6 1/3 innings and held UWA to just one unearned run to keep the Tritons in the game.

In Game 2, the Tigers struck first when a sacrifice fly drove in a run in the second inning.

UMSL tied the game in the third with a two-out rally. Stoakes walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, then scored on a double down the left field line by Isaacs.

UWA retook the lead with a single run in the third, then tacked on two more runs in the fourth, to go up 4-1.

As it did in the first game, UMSL rallied back. The Tritons tied the game with three runs in the top of the sixth.

UMSL loaded the bases with nobody out, and managed to get all those runners in, thanks to a passed ball, and RBI ground out, and an error by West Alabama.

Jacob Arndt worked out of two on with one out jam in the home half of the sixth striking out Watson and retired Newman on a comebacker to the mound to keep it tied.

UMSL took its first lead of the day in the top of the seventh, when Stoakes stroked a 1-1 pitch over the left-field fence to make the score 5-4.

West Alabama got the tying run into scoring position in the bottom of the seventh, but reliever Trent Anderson worked out of the jam to get the last out of the game.

Arndt (1-0) got the win and Anderson got the save (SV, 1).

UMSL had seven hits in the contest and was led by Isaacs with three while McIntyre added two more. Isaacs had six hits in eight at-bats on the day. He also had an RBI and scored three runs.

The Tritons and Tigers will play two more games on Saturday. Game 1 will begin at 11 a.m., and will be followed by Game 2 at 2 p.m.

UMSL TRITONS 2024 BASEBALL SCHEDULE

DateTimeAtOpponentLocation
February 311 a.m.AwayWest AlabamaLivingston, Ala. / Tartt Field
February 32 p.m.AwayWest AlabamaLivingston, Ala. / Tartt Field
February 1612 p.m.AwayKentucky WesleyanOwensboro, Ky. / Panther Park
February 1712 p.m.AwayKentucky WesleyanOwensboro, Ky. / Panther Park
February 173 p.m.AwayKentucky WesleyanOwensboro, Ky. / Panther Park
February 1812 p.m.AwayKentucky WesleyanOwensboro, Ky. / Panther Park
March 11 p.m.HomeSaginaw ValleyUMSL Baseball Field
March 21 p.m.HomeHillsdaleUMSL Baseball Field
March 31 p.m.HomeSaginaw ValleyUMSL Baseball Field
March 41 p.m.HomeBemidji StateO’Fallon, Mo. / Carshield Field
March 44 p.m.HomeBemidji StateO’Fallon, Mo. / Carshield Field
March 82 p.m.HomeDruryUMSL Baseball Field
March 912 p.m.HomeDruryUMSL Baseball Field
March 93 p.m.HomeDruryUMSL Baseball Field
March 101 p.m.HomeDruryUMSL Baseball Field
March 152 p.m.HomeLewisUMSL Baseball Field
March 1612 p.m.HomeLewisUMSL Baseball Field
March 163 p.m.HomeLewisUMSL Baseball Field
March 1712 p.m.HomeLewisUMSL Baseball Field
March 223 p.m.AwayTruman StateKirksville, Mo. / Bulldog Baseball Park
March 231 p.m.AwayTruman StateKirksville, Mo. / Bulldog Baseball Park
March 234 p.m.AwayTruman StateKirksville, Mo. / Bulldog Baseball Park
March 2412 p.m.AwayTruman StateKirksville, Mo. / Bulldog Baseball Park
March 282 p.m.AwayMaryvilleSt. Louis, Mo. / Weber Field
March 291 p.m.AwayMaryvilleSt. Louis, Mo. / Weber Field
March 294 p.m.AwayMaryvilleSt. Louis, Mo. / Weber Field
March 3012 p.m.AwayMaryvilleSt. Louis, Mo. / Weber Field
April 52 p.m.HomeWilliam JewellUMSL Baseball Field
April 612 p.m.HomeWilliam JewellUMSL Baseball Field
April 63 p.m.HomeWilliam JewellUMSL Baseball Field
April 71 p.m.HomeWilliam JewellUMSL Baseball Field
April 125 p.m.AwaySouthwest BaptistBolivar, Mo. / Dodson Field
April 131 p.m.AwaySouthwest BaptistBolivar, Mo. / Dodson Field
April 133 p.m.AwaySouthwest BaptistBolivar, Mo. / Dodson Field
April 1412 p.m.AwaySouthwest BaptistBolivar, Mo. / Dodson Field
April 162 p.m.HomeHarris-StoweUMSL Baseball Field
April 192 p.m.HomeMcKendreeUMSL Baseball Field
April 2012 p.m.HomeMcKendreeUMSL Baseball Field
April 203 p.m.HomeMcKendreeUMSL Baseball Field
April 211 p.m.HomeMcKendreeUMSL Baseball Field
April 262 p.m.AwayUpper IowaFayette, Iowa / Robertson Woods Field
April 271 p.m.AwayUpper IowaFayette, Iowa / Robertson Woods Field
April 274 p.m.AwayUpper IowaFayette, Iowa / Robertson Woods Field
April 2812 p.m.AwayUpper IowaFayette, Iowa / Robertson Woods Field
May 2TBAHomeMissouri S&TUMSL Baseball Field
May 3TBAHomeMissouri S&TUMSL Baseball Field
May 4TBAHomeMissouri S&TUMSL Baseball Field
May 4TBAHomeMissouri S&TUMSL Baseball Field
May 8, 2024 (Wednesday)NeutralGLVC TournamentMarion, Ill. / Mtn. Dew Park