Baseball splits with Westminster

St. Louis, Mo. - Fontbonne baseball is now 10-17 overall and 5-6 in SLIAC play after splitting with Westminster College today. The Griffins lost game one 14-10 and defeated the Blue Jays in the nine-inning contest 11-6.

Game One

Fontbonne fell behind early and ran out of innings against Westminster during their seven-inning loss. The Griffins committed three errors in the first three innings while Westminster crossed six runs which included four unearned. Fontbonne cut that deficit to three after four hits in the fourth included two doubles a single and a walk. 

After Fontbonne scored a lone run in the fifth, Westminster scored eight runs in the final two innings to take a 14-4 lead. The Griffins persisted and plated six runs in their final chance at the plate. Westminster made a pitching change to start the inning and that decision backfired as Fontbonne scored five earned runs off of Justin Riggins and another off Tanner Branneky. The Griffins made six hits in the inning including two doubles, five singles, a sacrifice fly and a hit-by-pitch.

Levi Earnest suffered the loss for Fontbonne. Both teams rattled off 16 hits on a hot, sunny day with little wind. Hoevelmann went four-for-four with two RBI as Shuff went three-for-four with three RBI. Fontbonne struck out eight Blue Jays while only one Griffin struck out at the plate. 

Game Two

Luke Summers started off hot on the mound as he allowed zero hits through the first two innings. He was aided in the outfield by shortstop Matt Tossick who made a spectacular catch in the first inning for out number two. The sophomore, going to his right, made a diving leap diagonally to steal a Blue Jay hit. 

Westminster scored two in the top of the third but the Griffins took over in the bottom half by scoring three runs on four hits. The Blue Jays scored two runs in the fourth and fifth and the Griffins three in the fourth to for a 6-6 ball game. 

The Griffins came alive once again in the seventh inning, scoring four runs to take a 10-6 lead. Hoevelmann led off with a single and then advanced to third off Golich's single right past Westminster's first baseman. With zero outs, Boyer drove the pair on a home run to dead center which landed between the fence and the bottom of the scoreboard. 

Westminster brought in Nick Bohannan to relieve Hayden Wallace on the mound. Fontbonne closed the game with a run in the eighth.   

Summers struck out four over six innings of work as he earned his third win of the year. Cole Lankford got the save, his second this season, after entering in the seventh with a one-run lead. The junior pitched three innings and struck out 

During game two, Golich went four-for-five with three runs scored. Boyer went three-for-five with four RBI including a three-run home run. The shortstop-turned center fielder has hit a home run in three of his last four games. Schocker recorded three RBI while Hoevelmann crossed home three times. 

The Griffins will finish their SLIAC divisional series at Westminster College on Saturday, April 15th at 1 p.m.