Summers Earns 11th Win On Season In Split Against Blue Jays

ST. LOUIS, Mo.—The final spot in the SLIAC Tournament will have to wait and be determined tomorrow afternoon after the Griffins baseball team took game one 4-1, but the Westminster Blue Jays captured the nightcap, 5-3.

Game One

Score: Fontbonne 4, Westminster 1

Location: Shaw Park

Records: Fontbonne (25-11; 12-8 SLIAC), Westminster (15-13; 11-8 SLIAC)

How It Happened

In the top of the third, the Blue Jays got on the board first on Branden Beeler's two-out solo shot to left. However, in the bottom half, the Griffins answered right back.

Jonathan Hoevelmann led off with a double and advanced to third on Jackson Penrod's single. Then, Braeden Dobbs stepped in and ripped a double to left to plate Hoevelmann. Michael Puckett, Jr., followed with a bases clearing double of his own to put the Griffins out in front, 3-1.

That was more than enough for starter Luke Summers. The junior sat down the next 10 batters and with the Griffins adding another run in the fifth on Dobbs' double, the team went on for the three-run win.

Fontbonne Notables

• Summers allowed just two hits and struck out eight for his 11^th win on the season.
• The heart of the order of Gus Purschke, Penrod, Dobbs, and Puckett, Jr., combined to go 7-for-11 with three runs scored and four RBI.

Westminster Notables

• Ian Cassidy was dealt the loss going 5.0 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits and sitting down one.
• Beeler and Ryan Clavin had one hit each.

Game Two

Score: Westminster 5, Fontbonne 3

Location: Shaw Park

Records: Westminster (16-13; 12-8 SLIAC), Fontbonne (25-12; 12-9 SLIAC)

How It Happened

The Griffins got on the board first in the bottom of the third. After back-to-back singles by Hoevelmann and Purschke, the Griffins had two on with two away. Penrod came through with an RBI single to right and that scored Hoevelmann from third to make it 1-0.

However, the Blue Jays answered with four runs on four hits, highlighted by Ryan Klimkiewicz's two RBI single to give them the three-run lead. Fontbonne got one of those runs back in the bottom half of the fourth.

With Matt Tossick on second, Tyler Grimes hit a single to right and Tossick raced on home to trim the deficit down to 4-2. That score remained the same until the bottom of the ninth.

With Purschke on second and Penrod on first, Puckett Jr., singled to center, allowing Purschke to come on home and put the team down 5-3. However, reliever Ethan Rackers was able to record the final out for the win.

Fontbonne Notables

• Alex Phillips fell to 5-4 on the season after allowing two earned runs on five hits in 6.0 innings.
• Mike Jacobson tossed 2.2 innings of shutout ball out of the pen and struck out four.
• Offensively, Purshcke led going 4-for-5 with one run scored.
• Puckett, Jr., went 3-for-5. Hoevelmann, Penrod, Tossick, and Grimes had two hits each.

Westminster Notables

• Starter Mason Kirkweg finished with 125 pitches in 6.1 innings of work, allowing two runs on 12 hits and sat down six.
• Rackers earned his second save on the season.
• Klimkiewicz led at the plate going 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI. Hayden Hirschvogel contributed three hits, an RBI and a run scored.

Up Next

• The two teams will be back at it tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m., to determine who'll advance onto the SLIAC Tournament on Thursday.

Fans make sure to stay updated on fontbonnegriffins.com throughout the year for full updates and recaps on the baseball team.

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