KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — The Truman State baseball team went 2-2 against Drury University over a three-day home series at Bulldogs Baseball Park, picking up a pair of wins in a Sunday doubleheader to salvage the split. Truman improves to 11-26 overall and 5-19 in the GLVC.
Game 1: Drury 7, Truman 6 | April 10
Truman jumped out to an early lead in the first inning when Nick Steurer singled through the left side and stole his way to third, then came home on an RBI single to center by Tyler Tieman to make it 1-0.
The Bulldogs held that lead through six innings behind a strong outing from Isaac Epp, who allowed just one earned run over seven innings while striking out five. Evan Davis extended the advantage to 2-0 in the sixth with a solo home run to left center.
Drury broke through in the seventh, as a run-scoring single by Bain off a left field error opened the floodgates. With two runners scoring on the play, Bain came around to score as well on a Miller sacrifice fly, giving the Panthers a 3-2 lead.
Drury struck first in the ninth, putting up four runs capped by a Schmitt three-run home run to left center to take a 7-2 lead. Truman responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the ninth, highlighted by a Reed Drabant grand slam to right center to make it a 7-6 game, but could not complete the comeback and dropped the opener.
Game 2: Truman 24, Drury 12 | April 11
The Bulldogs put together one of their biggest offensive performances in recent memory in the delayed second game of the series, exploding for 10 runs in the first inning and never looking back.
The first-inning barrage was highlighted by an RBI single from Oliver Degenhardt, a two-RBI triple down the right field line by Reed Drabant, an RBI single by Charlie Berry, and a two-RBI double to center by Nick Steurer. Degenhardt added another RBI single and Evan Davis capped the inning with a two-RBI double to left center, staking Truman to a 10-0 lead before Drury recorded an out in the second.
The Bulldogs added three more in the second on an RBI single by Nick Steurer and a two-RBI double to right center by Oliver Degenhardt. After Drury scored six in the third to make it 13-6, Truman answered right back in the bottom of the third. Gavin Schieffer hit two home runs in the inning, a two-run shot to left center and then a grand slam to right field, with Nick Steurer and Oliver Degenhardt adding RBI hits in between to push the lead to 22-6.
Drury trimmed the deficit with four runs in the fifth on a three-run home run by Schmitt and two more in the sixth, but Tyler Towe capped the Bulldog scoring with a two-RBI single up the middle in the sixth to set the final at 24-12.
Schieffer finished the day with six RBI on the two home runs. Oliver Degenhardt drove in six as well, going 4-for-5. Nick Steurer went 3-for-5 with four RBI. Danny Lindsey earned the win (1-5) in relief.
Game 3: Drury 2, Truman 1 | April 12, Game 1
A tight pitching duel in the morning game of Sunday's doubleheader went to Drury, as the Panthers scored the go-ahead run on a walk-off hit in the seventh.
Drury drew first blood in the first inning, with Matschiner reaching and eventually scoring on a Bain sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.
Truman answered right back in the bottom of the first. Nick Steurer doubled to left field, stole third, and came home on a sacrifice fly to right field by Oliver Degenhardt to tie it at 1-1. The score stayed level until the seventh, when a Truman error allowed Flieg to reach third, and Miller singled to center to score him and give Drury the 2-1 lead. Truman went quietly in the bottom of the inning to close the game.
Nick Phillips gave the Bulldogs a quality start, allowing just one earned run on eight hits over seven innings, but took the loss (1-7). Anthony Vita threw a complete game for Drury, earning the win (4-0).
Game 4: Truman 9, Drury 3 | April 12, Game 2
The Bulldogs closed out the series on a high note, scoring in five of eight innings to earn a convincing victory in the afternoon.
Truman got on the board in a big second inning, using a pair of wild pitches and a Drury error to plate three runs. Shodai Nishihara scored on a wild pitch, Quinten Bauman scored on an error by the third baseman, and Joey Fentress came home on a Nick Steurer sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.
Nick Steurer added an RBI single in the fourth to score Reed Drabant and push the lead to 4-0. Drury responded in the fifth with three consecutive RBI singles by Crider, Reidelberger, and Bain to cut it to 4-3, but Reed Drabant doubled to right center in the bottom of the fifth to score Shodai Nishihara and extend the lead to 5-3.
Evan Davis singled up the middle in the sixth to score Nick Steurer and make it 6-3, and Tyler Tieman put the game away in the eighth with a two-RBI double to right center, scoring Nick Steurer and Ian Thornton. Evan Davis followed with an RBI double to right to score Tieman and set the final at 9-3.
Jack Pearson earned the win (2-0), allowing three earned runs over five innings. Hayden Holman closed it out with four scoreless innings to record his third save of the season.
Up Next:
The Bulldogs have been making progress throughout the season, picking up additional wins each weekend. Truman State will be on the road this coming weekend, facing off against the 23-13 Rockhurst Hawks, starting on Friday at 6:00 PM.
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