From Washington University Athletics
Eight different individuals recorded hits, including three-hit performances by senior Chris Lowery and sophomore CJ Price, as the Washington University in St. Louis baseball team earned an 11-1 win in seven innings over Fontbonne University Wednesday afternoon at Kelly Field.
Lowery finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a triple, a season-high five RBIs and three runs scored. Price was also 3-for-4 with a double and two runs, while seniors Brian Cizek (2-for-4, homerun, two RBIs, run) and Zack Kessinger (1-for-4, double, two RBIs, two runs) added two hits each. Senior Max Zhang got the complete-game victory on the mound to improve to 2-1 on the season. He allowed just one run on six hits and two walks, while striking out three. As a team, the Bears out-hit Fontbonne 13-6 and left a season-low three base runners stranded in the game.
Lowery extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a two-out single past the third baseman in his first at-bat. Kessinger followed with an RBI double to the gap in left-center field to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. Cizek was then hit by a pitch on a 2-2 count. After the umpire ruled he did not get to take his base on the hit by pitch, Cizek drove the next pitch over the left-field fence for a two-run homer to make the score 3-0 after one inning.
WashU added four runs on three hits and an error in the bottom of the fifth to extend its lead to 7-0. Sophomore Scott Nelson got a one-out single up the middle and sophomore Austin Darmawan reached on a dropped fly ball by the Fontbonne right fielder. Price followed with a single to load the bases, and Lowery lined a bases-clearing triple over the center fielder to make the score 6-0 in favor of WashU. Kessinger then drove in Lowery with a groundout to the first baseman. The Griffins got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth, turning a leadoff double into a run to cut WashU's lead to 7-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, Darmawan led off with a bunt single down the third-base line and Price chopped a double down the left-field line. Lowery followed with a two-RBI single to right-center field to extend the Bears' lead to 9-1. Kessinger reached on a fielder's choice, but the throw to second by Fontbonne's second baseman sailed into foul territory past third base, allowing Lowery to score WashU's third run of the inning. Sophomore Ben Browdy hit a one-out single through the left side to put runners on the corners, and senior Brandon Deger followed with a fielder's choice to third that scored Kessinger to end the game.
WashU improved to 16-6 overall with the win, while Fontbonne fell to 12-10.
Bear Notebook: It was WashU's third win over Fontbonne this season … The Bears improved to 8-3 this season when scoring in the first inning and 10-4 when getting on the scoreboard first … It was the 13th time WashU has tallied double-digit hits in a game … Zhang pitched in his 45thcareer game, tying Jerry Thornton (1967-70), Todd Gummersbach (1986-89) and Stephen Bonser (2011-14) for eighth on WashU's career pitching appearances list … Lowery passed Andy Shields (2004-07) for fourth on the Bears' all-time career hits list with 204 … Kessinger moved into a tie with Joe Kelly (2000-03) and Lowery for eighth on WashU's career doubles list with 35 … Kessinger also tied Kevin Lux (1998-01) for fourth on the Bears' career RBIs list with 136, while Lowery tied Steve Steinbruegge (1997-00) for eighth with 124 … Kessinger and Lowery have both reached base safely in all 22 games for the Bears this season.