Imperial, MO 3/25/2023- The Westminster College baseball team traveled to Imperial, Missouri to take the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy Eutectics in a Saturday seven-inning doubleheader. The Blue Jays would hit four home runs in the first game, including a grand slam by Skyler Bushey (Saint Albans, Vt / Bellows Free Academy) powering them to a 14-6 victory. The Jays would find themselves down 6-5 late in the game and rallied to score three runs in the top of the seventh inning to come back and complete the sweep, winning game two, 8-6.
Game One: Box Score
Bode Gebbink (St, Joseph, Il. / St. Joeseph-Ogden) started on the bump for Westminster in the first game. He would pitch four innings, surrendering four hits and four runs. Gebbink struck out six batters and walked three.
The Eutectics jumped on Gebbink early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first to take an early 2-0 lead. Coltin Green (St. Anthony, Mo. / St. Elizabeth) hit a solo shot in the top of the second to make it 2-1. Gebbink would settle in and retire UHSP one, two, and three in the bottom of the second inning and struck out two batters.
UHSP would score again in the 3rd to make it 3-1. Quin Adelson (Louisville, KY / North Oldham) hit a home run in the top of the 4th to make it 3-2. The Eutectics made it 4-2 in the bottom of the inning after scoring on an RBI single.
The Blue Jays bats would come to life in the top of the 5th inning with Austin Mayton (Wentzville, Mo. /Fort Zumwalt North) hitting a leadoff single to left. Green would reach on a fielder's choice with Mayton getting out at second base. Green would move up to second after an error by the Eutectics. After showing off the long ball earlier in the game, Westminster showed they could play small ball as well. Matt Lukins (Clark, Mo / Rock Bridge) would bunt for a single and move Green up to third base. Steven Diaz (Highland, Il. / Highland) singled to right to score Green and put runners on first and second. Troy Romero (Trophy Club, TX / Byron Nelson) would reach on a bunt single to load the bases. Jason Pesold (Arnold, Mo / St. Pius X) hit a single to score Diaz and keep the bases loaded. Then Bushey would step to the plate and smoke the ball to dead center field for a bases-clearing grand slam. The Blue Jays weren't done yet. Adelson would draw a walk to bring Mayton back to the plate for the second time in the inning. He would walk as well. Then Green would hit a double to the left-center field gap to score both runners to put the Blue Jays up 10-4.
Spencer Keiser (Old Monroe, Mo / Winfield) would hit a two-run home run in the top of the 7th inning. Later in the inning, Romero would single to bring in two more runs. The Blue Jays would go on to the game 14-6.
Bushey's grand slam was his second home run of the season. Adelson, Keiser, and Green all hit their first home runs of the year. Gebbink picks up the win and improves to 3-1 on the season.
Game Two: Box Score
The Blue Jays would start Ben Kennebeck (St. Louis, MO / St. Louis University High) in game two, it would be his second start of the season. He would pitch four and one-third innings, giving up three hits and six runs. He would strike out five batters and walk five batters.
Westminster's hot bats would carry over into game two, with the Jays scoring four runs in the first three innings of the game. Diaz would start the game off by getting hit by a pitch. Bushey would hit a double to right field to score Diaz. Dawson Schuemann (Jefferson City, Mo. / Jefferson City) walked in the top of the second and would later score after Ryan Mills (Festus, Mo / Hancock) reached on an error. Romero would walk in the top of the third and Bushey would hit a two-run home run, his third of the season, to make it 4-0.
The Eutectics would hit two home runs in the bottom of the inning, scoring five runs to take a 5-4 lead. Romero would tie in the top of the fifth with a solo home run, the first of his career. UHSP would get the lead back after scoring a run in the bottom half of the frame to regain the lead 6-5.
In the top of the seventh, Diaz stepped to the plate with the Blue Jays down a run. He would deliver a one-out single to right. Romero would single to put runners on first and second. Bushey would draw a two-out walk to load the bases. Mayton blasted a double to right center field, clearing the bases and putting Westminster on top 8-6.
Hayden Sanborn (Arnold, MO / St. John Vianney) pitched the sixth inning and was back to close the door in the seventh. He would sit the Eutectics down in order and struck out two batters to get his first win of the season as the Blue Jays would win the game with a final score of 8-6.
The Blue Jays will be back in action on Sunday for game three against UHSP as they try to sweep the series. The first pitch is set for 1:00 PM.
