Baseball Tops Fontbonne, 7-2

The Westminster baseball team closed out the three-game conference series with Fontbonne University with a 7-2 win Tuesday afternoon. The Blue Jays won one of three in the series and now hold a 9-6 conference record and a 15-8 overall record.

Fontbonne started off the game with a RBI single to take a 1-0 lead. They held the lead until the top of the fourth when junior Tyler Branneky led-off with a single to shortstop. He stole second, advanced to third on senior Danton Hughes’ sacrifice bunt, and scored on a RBI single by sophomore Ryan Loethen.

Fontbonne scored a run in the fifth to take the 2-1 lead, but the Blue Jays countered with two more runs in the sixth. Da. Hughes hit a RBI single to score sophomore Deion Hughes, and Da. Hughes scored off Loethen’s RBI single up the middle.

With two outs in the seventh, junior Tim Chambliss hit a two RBI single to left field, scoring Ty. Branneky and senior Andy Pichler. With a 5-2 lead, the game headed into the ninth inning. Pichler led-off with a single, followed by a RBI triple to left center by De. Hughes, scoring Pichler. Ty. Branneky followed with a RBI double to center field, scoring De. Hughes. The Blue Jays held Fontbonne from scoring in the bottom of the ninth, ending the game with a 7-2 win.

Sophomore Ryan Strohm (1-0) was credited with the win on relief. He pitched four innings and struck out four. Freshman Miller Bowles was credited with the save. Ty. Branneky went 2-2 from the plate.

The Blue Jays travel to Jacksonville, Illinois this weekend for a three-game conference series with MacMurray College. Game one of the series starts at 2:00 p.m. Friday afternoon, April 18. The doubleheader on Saturday will start at 12:00 p.m.