From Washington University Athletics
The Washington University in St. Louis baseball team scored three runs in the first inning to earn a 3-1 win at the University of Chicago Friday in a game that was called after five innings due to rain and lightning.
WashU improved to 31-14 overall with the win, while Chicago dropped to 18-18. The two teams are scheduled to finish the regular season with a doubleheader beginning at Noon Saturday.
Sophomore Austin Darmawan got things started for the Bears in the top of the first when he was hit by a pitch with one out. Senior Chris Lowery followed with a single, his 77th hit of the season, which tied the WashU single-season record set by Brandon Rogalski in 2012. Senior Zack Kessinger then delivered a two-RBI double to left field to put the Bears ahead 2-0. Sophomore CJ Price lined a single to right field and stole second, before senior Brian Cizekdrew a walk to load the bases. Senior Brandon Deger drove in Kessinger with an RBI fielder's choice that made the score 3-0 in favor of the Bears.
Chicago got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth. The Maroons got a leadoff single and an RBI double to cut WashU's lead to 3-1 before sophomore Scott Nelson got a pair of popups and a flyout to end the inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Chicago got the bases loaded with a pair of hits and an intentional walk, before Nelson got a called strikeout of the Maroons' cleanup hitter to end the inning. The game moved into the sixth inning before being called due to lightning and rain, making the final score 3-1 in favor of WashU.
Five different players accounted for WashU's five hits in the game. Nelson improved to 7-0 on the season with the five-inning win. With his double in the first inning, Kessinger reached base safely for the 50th consecutive game, a streak dating to April 30, 2014, that equals the third-longest reached base streak in NCAA Division III history.
Bear Notebook: WashU improved to 10-1 in road games this season, and 15-4 when scoring in the first inning … Kessinger increased his career RBI total to 155, five shy of WashU's all-time career leader … Junior Max Golembo has reached base safely in 26 games in a row … Cizek returned to the Bears' starting lineup for the first time since being injured April 12.