The good times are continuing with Pitt State baseball, as they completed a three-game sweep of Missouri Western this past weekend, extending their unbeaten winning streak to 13 straight games. Last week the team broke the record for best start to a season, and this week, history was made again by senior Dagen Brewer, as he claimed the MIAA record for consecutive game hitting streak, with his 33rd hit stretching back to last season.
“I don’t think we are really worried about being undefeated, just taking it one game at a time, keep playing our game. We’ve got to keep getting better, cause it’s a long season,” head coach Brock Buckingham said.
Pitt State began their first home stand of the season on Friday afternoon, as they waltzed to an 8-2 win over the Griffons. The Gorillas got to a 5-1 start after three innings, before adding three more runs in the sixth. The Griffons would score once in the top of the ninth to make it 8-2.
Brewer smacked a run-scoring triple with one out in the bottom of the first inning to extend his school record hitting streak to 31 games. Redshirt senior Isaac Webb added an RBI double and collected two hits on the day. Junior Jayden McNealy, junior Eric Bacon and Brewer all scored twice in the contest. McNealy also stole three bases.
Game two was much the same for the Gorillas, as they cruised to a 7-2 win. Pitt State got on the board first with a two-run third inning, eventually taking a 7-1 lead into the top of the ninth. The Griffons would find the scoreboard once in the ninth to make it 7-2, echoing the previous day’s game.
Graduate student starter Zach Voss improved to 4-0 on the season with five solid innings on the mound for the Gorillas. Voss limited Missouri Western to one run on two hits. He faced just 19 batters, issuing one walk and recording four strikeouts. Redshirt junior Ty Blecha worked three innings of a two-hit relief with four strikeouts. Bacon led Pitt State’s offensive attack with three hits. Bacon and senior Cooper Wesslund scored two runs apiece.
Sunday’s early afternoon game proved much tougher for Pitt State, as they mounted a come from behind 4-3 win over Missouri Western. The Griffons built up a 2-0 lead after four innings, but the Gorillas were able to tie it back up with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. Pitt State would take the lead for the first time in the sixth, but the Griffons came back with a run in the eighth to knot it up at three apiece. Pitt State would answer in spectacular fashion, as junior Landon Bruce would smack a homer in the ninth to get the go ahead score and win the game.
Junior Ethan Froud (1-0) worked an efficient three-out inning in the top of the ninth to earn the win on the mound. Redshirt sophomore starter Elijah Seitz combined with relievers redshirt junior Bradley Neill, redshirt junior Cason Long and junior Cross Dowd to limit the Griffons to three runs and eight hits over the first eight innings of work.
“It was just exciting getting to play on this beautiful day. A little windy, but glad to get the opportunity to go and do something big for my team,” Bruce said.