Clayton Stephens hit two homers on Friday to help spark the UMSL Tritons to three victories over crosstown rival Lindenwood this weekend at the UMSL Baseball Field. (Photo: Nathan Assata)

DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer

The University of Missouri-St. Louis baseball team lost the first game of its four-game weekend series against crosstown rival Lindenwood on Thursday. But then the Tritons responded by sweeping the final three games — two on Friday and one on Saturday — to take the series three games to one.

It was the first home Great Lakes Valley Conference series win of the season for UMSL, which raised its overall record to 10-21 and its league mark to 9-7.

The Tritons suffered through a rough first two months of the season, going 2-15 in February and March. But since April began, UMSL is 8-5, with series wins over Southwest Baptist and now Lindenwood.

The key to bouncing back against the Lions was the big day senior Clayton Stephens had at the plate for the Tritons on Friday.

In the first game that day, Stephens blasted a three-run home run off the left-field scoreboard to give UMSL a lead it would not relinquish. Then in game two, the native St. Louisan, who attended DeSmet High School, had three hits, including another home run, and drove in all four runs in a 4-3 Triton victory.

Stephens’ last hit that day was a line-shot into the left-field corner that drove in sophomores Kameron Laskowski and Isaac Powers with the game-tying and game-winning runs that polished off the doubleheader sweep.

On Saturday, Stephens had just one hit, but he did score what proved to be the game-winning run, when he sprinted home to score following a Lindenwood defensive error. All totaled, Stephens had six hits, including the two homers, seven RBIs, and scored four runs in the four games against Lindenwood.

Teammates Brady Krile (1-3), Adam Rose (2-3), and Jack Rhodes (2-1) were the winning UMSL pitchers over the weekend, with reliever Trent Anderson picking up the save on Saturday and Powers earning one in the first game on Friday.

UMSL will look to keep its winning streak going when it hosts another GLVC home series next weekend at the UMSL Baseball Field against Rockhurst. The Tritons and Hawks will play one game, Friday afternoon, two on Saturday, then close the weekend with a single game on Sunday.