From Washington University Athletics
The Washington University in St. Louis baseball team got two strong performances from its starting pitchers and had six different players record RBIs as the Bears swept their home-opening doubleheader against Greenville College Saturday afternoon at Kelly Field.
In game one, WashU scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth en route to a 4-2 victory. The Bears scored runs in each of the first four innings of game two on their way to a 10-1 win. WashU improved to 3-2 on the season with the wins, while Greenville dropped to 0-5. The Bears continue their five-game homestand by hosting Principia College at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 1.
GAME ONE – WASHU 4, GREENVILLE 2
Junior Brad Margolin put on one of the best pitching performances of his career in the first game of the doubleheader. After giving up a leadoff double, he retired the next 13 batters he faced. Offensively, the Bears got runners in scoring position in the second and third innings, but were kept off the scoreboard until the bottom of the fourth.
In the fourth, junior Tate Maider lined a one-out single to shallow center field and sophomore Conor O'Hara followed with a single up the middle. Junior Spencer Egly came through with a single over the third baseman's head to score Maider and give WashU a 1-0 lead. Junior Scott Nelson then drew a walk to load the bases, before junior Christian Santosdrove a 1-0 pitch to the fence in center field for a bases-clearing triple to extend the Bears' lead to 4-0.
In the top of the fifth, Greenville got a one-out triple, but senior Kyle Kozak whipped a throw down the third-base line to pick off the runner and Margolin got his sixth strikeout of the game to get out of the inning. The Panthers got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth with back-to-back one-out singles and a two-out, two-RBI double that cut the Bears' lead to 4-2. WashU looked like it would add to the lead in the top of the seventh with runners on the corners and no outs, but Greenville got a groundout, strikeout and lineout to get out of the inning.
WashU finished with seven hits in the game, while Greenville had six. The Bears also took advantage of two errors and three walks issued by the Panthers. Margolin (1-1) earned the win for WashU after throwing eight complete innings, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out a career-high nine batters. Junior Matt Clohisy picked up his first save of the season with one hitless inning of relief.
Offensively, WashU was led by junior Austin Darmawan and O'Hara, who both finished 2-for-4 at the plate. Egly was 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI, and Santos was 1-for-3 with his three-RBI triple.
GAME TWO – WASHU 10, GREENVILLE 1
The Bears got on the scoreboard quickly in game two, when senior Max Golembo scored an unearned run after hitting a one-out single up the middle in the bottom of the first. WashU added two runs in the bottom of the second after Kozak drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Santos scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0 in favor of the Bears.
WashU's offense continued to roll in the bottom of the third. Browdy hit a single up the middle and advanced to second on a Greenville error. After he moved to third on a passed ball, Maider fouled off four straight pitches on a 2-2 count before lining an RBI single over the second baseman. With two outs, Egly then drove a pitch to the gap in right center for a triple. Santos reached on a walk then stole second which drew a throw from the Greenville catcher and allowed Egly to score the Bears' third run of the inning, extending the lead to 6-0.
Greenville got two runners on in the top of the fourth inning, but Nelson struck out the side to keep the shutout intact. In the bottom of the inning, the Bears added two more runs to their lead. Sophomore Auggie Mense and Golembo each drew walks and advanced to second and third on a balk. Browdy drove in Mense with his second sacrifice fly of the game, and Maider followed with a two-out double to the gap in left-center to make it 8-0.
After stranding two runners again in the top of the fifth, Greenville got a leadoff single and an RBI double in the top of the sixth to get on the scoreboard. The Bears answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Darmawan drew a one-out walk and stole second and third before scoring on a single up the middle by Golembo. Browdy followed with an RBI double to right center to finish the scoring in the game.
WashU equaled its season-high with 11 hits, while Greenville finished with seven. Seven different players recorded hits in the game for the Bears. Golembo (2-for-4, three runs, RBI), Browdy (2-for-2, three RBIs, run), Maider (2-for-3, two RBIs, run), and Egly (2-for-4, run, RBI) finished with two hits apiece. Nelson (1-1) earned his first win of the season on the mound, scattering seven hits and allowing just one run, while striking out a career-high 10 batters in six innings of work. Senior Julian Clarke and juniors Jake Mintz and Chris McKee recorded one strikeout apiece while each pitching one scoreless inning of relief.
Bear Notebook: WashU is 47-22 against Greenville since the 1985 season, and the Bears have won 16 of the last 17 meetings between the two teams … Golembo's three runs scored in game two brought his career total to 120, four shy of WashU's all-time top-10 list … Egly has hit safely in all five games this season … Margolin's eight innings pitched equaled his career-high … Maider and Egly each recorded their first multi-hit games of their careers … Game two was also Maider's first multi-RBI game of his career.