Pitching duo combines for 21 strikeouts

St. Louis, Mo. - Fontbonne baseball suffered their fifth consecutive loss of the season Sunday to Dominican University. The Griffins trailed 2-0 until the team posted four runs in the fifth and one in the sixth inning to lead 5-2, backing up starting pitcher Vince Santarsiero who struck out 10 of 28 batters faced. Santarsiero allowed just one earned run and one walk. Unfortunately Fontbonne gave up eight runs in the top of the seventh and lost 10-5 to the Stars.

In the bottom of the fifth, catcher Patrick Shuff hit his first double of the day but was kept at second after Sean Wallace hit a single to the shortstop that took a weird bounce. Devon Tolan placed a perfect sacrifice bunt to the pitcher that advanced both Shuff and Wallace. Freshman Aaron Boyer then hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Shuff. His older brother Ethan then doubled to center to score Wallace and scored on a single through the left side by Steve Belovich. Belovich advanced to second on the throw home and scored the final run of the fifth after Ben Greenway hit a double.

In the bottom of the sixth, freshman Jackson Penrod singled and fellow freshman Jonathan Hoevelmann pinch ran for the third baseman. Hoevelmann stole both second and third and scored on a hit-and-run play when Sean Wallace sac bunted for the Griffins' final run.

Game 2

Senior Tanner Carter stepped to the mound as the starter for the second game. Carter threw all nine innings and struck out 11 of 32 batters for the complete-game shutout in Fontbonne's first win of 2016. The Griffins defeated the Stars 7-0, with the winning run sliding head-first across home on a passed ball. Carter allowed just three hits in route to his 14th career win.

Fontbonne put up six runs in the sixth. After a leadoff out, freshman Jackson Penrod hit a deep ball to center for his first collegiate triple. He would score on Shuff's double. Tolan stepped up to the plate and took his time and walked. Both runners advanced on a failed pickoff attempt on Shuff when the ball hit the shortstop's glove at second and bounced into center field. Senior Nick Rothweiler was selected and earned a base on balls as well to load the bases. Aaron Boyer and Belovich each singled up the middle for three more runs. Dominican brought in a new pitcher to try and get out of the inning, but Greenway wanted in on the action, driving in Fontbonne's final two runs on his single up the middle as well.

Belovich went three-for-three in game two with two RBI's, a run scored and a walk.

Fontbonne is at home again this weekend with a game on Saturday, March 5th at 2 p.m. against Illinois Wesleyan. The Griffins then host a doubleheader on Sunday against Chicago, beginning at noon.