JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Missouri S&T won the regular season GLVC championship this year, but lost in its final game as the Lincoln baseball team defeated the Miners, 16-10, on Saturday afternoon (May 2).
The Blue Tigers racked up 14 hits during the regular season finale for both programs, including three apiece by
Jayden Little,
Easton Stuckenschneider and
Tim Fleming. Little led the Blue Tigers with five RBI, including four on a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh, part of an 11-run inning for the Lincoln offense.
Facing a 9-5 deficit entering the bottom of the seventh, the first three LU batters each got on base, as
Andy Srebroski IV and
Hunter Mitchell were issued walks and Stuckenschneider hit a single. That set up Little's grand slam, but the Blue Tigers were not yet finished.
Daren Walters-Ansell reached on a fielder's choice,
Felix Marquez took advantage of an error and
Aidan Streight was walked, loading the bases once again.
Srebroski and Stuckenschneider both reached base on balls, respectively scoring Walters-Ansell and Marquez. After a pitching change, Mitchell lined a single into left field, plating Streight and Srebroski in the process. That brought Little back to the plate, where he drove in Stuckenschneider on an outfield single. A walk to Fleming later loaded the bases, and Walters-Ansell drove the ball into right field to score Little and Mitchell, giving the Blue Tigers a 16-9 advantage.
Missouri S&T pushed a run across the plate in the top of the eighth, but the LU defense forced a three-up, three-down ninth inning to seal the season-ending victory. Mitchell earned the win on the mound after striking out four Miner batters.
Kris Haley also had a strikeout, and
Ryan Lepper and
Ronan Podhola additionally represented the Blue Tigers on the mound.
Lincoln opened the game strong, forcing a double play to end the top of the first before scoring three runs in the bottom of the frame. Three consecutive singles from Stuckenschneider, Mitchall and Little loaded the bases, and a fourth base hit, this one by Fleming plated Stuchenschneider for the first run of the day. Walters-Ansell hit an infield single to bring in Mitchell, and a ground out by Marquez brought home Little.
A sacrifice fly and a two-RBI single allowed the Miners to tie the game in the top of the second, but Stuckenschneider broke the deadlock in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice fly that drove in Streight. A ground out by Mitchell plated Srebroski to give LU a 5-4 lead.
Mitchell and Walters-Ansell each finished with three RBI on two hits. Srebroski, who was walked four times in the victory, had a hit and scored three runs. Defensively, Srebroski, Stuckenschneider and Little all had five putouts while Streight recorded four and Walters-Ansell provided three. Walters-Ansell also led Lincoln with three assists.
Prior to Saturday's game, the Blue Tigers held a Senior Day ceremony to celebrate the team's four graduating players: Srebroski, Little, Marquez and
Jacob Claborn.
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