Bolivar, Mo. – The SBU Baseball team opened their 2021 season at home Friday afternoon, playing host to the University of Mary Marauders. Friday featured a double-header between the teams, UMARY taking the first 3-1 and SBU winning the second 6-3.
 
Game One
The Marauders got on the board early, scoring one in the first and another two in the third. They took that 3-0 lead all the way to the 6^th, when SBU was able to erase the 0 on the board. After a groundout to lead off the inning, Sam Avila reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a Rhys Cratty single through the right side. A batter later, Colby Sneed drove one up the middle to bring Avila home and cut the deficit to 3-1. Josh Scott poked a single into left field in the bottom of the 7^th and later advanced to second, but was stranded there as the 7 inning game came to a close, 3-1 in favor of UMARY.
 
Game Two
Ryan Carmack got the nod for the game two start, striking out the first batter on three pitches and retiring the other two Marauders in quick fashion. Zack Ehlen became the game's first base runner by drawing a leadoff walk, moving over to second on a stolen base. Colby Sneed found the outfield grass with a single through the left side, advancing Ehlen to third. Although UMARY was able to turn the double play, Ehlen made it home to put SBU up 1-0 in the first. The score was evened in the top of the third, as UMARY brought home a run after several singles in a row.
 
The visitors took a 3-1 lead in the 5^th inning, capitalizing on their opportunities. Ehlen touched the plate again in the 6^th, reaching on another walk and maneuvering the bases with speed. It was Jackson Soule who was credited with the RBI. SBU's breakout inning came in the bottom of the 7^th, plating 4 runs to take over once again. This time around, Zack Ehlen drove in the run, scoring Sam Avila on an infield single. A couple of batters later, Blake Lutgen singled up the middle to score Colby Sneed. Finally, the Marauder catcher forced a bad throw after Jackson Soule reached on an infield single, scoring 2 more SBU runs. Pitching and defense held strong for the remainder of the game, ending with a 6-3 final in favor of the Bearcats.
 
Ryan Carmack pitched 7.0 innings, striking out 13 batters in the team's first victory of the season. Zack Ehlen reached base all 4 at-bats, going 2-2 at the dish with a pair of walks. He scored 2 Bearcat runs and drove in another.
 
The teams will meet for another double-header tomorrow, Saturday, March 6 with game one set for 1 PM at Dodson Field.