JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Lincoln baseball team had the lead entering the final inning of game two of a double-header against Missouri S&T on Friday (May 1), but the Miners rallied to win, 13-8. Missouri S&T also won the opening contest, 11-3.
The Blue Tigers scored in each of the first two innings of game two, starting with an outfield single by
Tim Fleming that drove in
Andy Srebroski IV. In the second inning,
Felix Marquez came home on a single from
Hunter Mitchell, then
Easton Stuckenschneider scored on a bases-loaded walk issued to Fleming for a 3-0 Blue Tiger lead.
Missouri S&T (32-15, 25-6 GLVC) cut into the deficit in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly, and the Miners came back to tie the game with a two-run homer in the fourth inning. In the top of the fifth, the Miners scored on another sacrifice fly to briefly take the lead, but the Blue Tigers tied the score at 4-4 in the bottom of the frame when
Zane Hunter II came home on a ground out by Mitchell.
One more sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth gave the Miners a 5-4 advantage, but Lincoln (6-41, 0-31 GLVC) responded in a big way in the bottom half of the inning. Fleming was hit by a pitch,
Daren Walters-Ansell reached on an error and
Blythe Blakey singled to load the bases. After a pitching change, Marquez reached base on ball, allowing Fleming to come home and tie the game.
Nolan Laughlin then hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Walters-Ansell, and an second error by the Miners brought home Blakey and Marquez, putting LU on top, 8-5, at the end of the inning.
In the top of the seventh, Missouri S&T managed to load the bases before scoring its first run on an error. A sacrifice fly made it a one-run game, but a strikeout put Lincoln an out away from ending the game. Unfortunately, the Miners tied the game when a player was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and an error followed by a home run led to Missouri S&T taking a 13-8 advantage. Fleming led the bottom of the seventh off with a base hit, but Missouri S&T kept Lincoln off the board.
Jonah Claborn struck out three batters while pitching the first four frames of the game. Relievers
Ed Noy,
Kris Haley and
Carter Otto also notched strikeouts. Marquez and Fleming each had two hits while Mitchell, Blakey, Hunter and
Jayden Little each tallied one. Stuckenschneider led LU defensively with six putouts, Hunter contributed four and Marquez was next with three. Walters-Ansell recorded four assists.
In the first game, Missouri S&T got on the scoreboard first with an RBI double in the top of the second. In the bottom of the second, though, Blakey hit a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1. The Miners pulled away in the fourth run by plating five runs, but LU got back within three in the bottom of the fifth.
Srebroski led that frame off with a single and later scored on a ground out by Mitchell. Little was issued a walk and Fleming and Walters-Ansell hit back-to-back base hits, allowing Little to score and cut the deficit down to 6-3. That was as close as LU would come to rallying, though, despite the Miners holding a slim 10-8 advantage in total hits.
Walters-Ansell and Stuckenschneider both had a pair of hits while Srebroski, Mitchell, Fleming and Blakey each had one.
Brody Kleffner had two strikeouts as LU's starter, and Mitchell totaled six putouts while Srebroski was next with four.
Ryan Lepper and Stuckenschneider each supplied three putouts, and Srebroski and Walters-Ansell each had three assists.
Lincoln closes its 2026 campaign on Saturday (May 2) by hosting Missouri S&T in a 12:00 p.m. CDT contest. Prior to the game, at 11:30 a.m. CDT, the Blue Tigers will hold a Senior Day ceremony to honor their graduating players.
