Bolivar, MO - The SBU Baseball team hosted conference foe the Lincoln University (MO) Blue Tigers and came out with split to start the series, moving them to 13-19 (6-8 GLVC).
 
Game 1: L, 4-7
After a 3-run start to the game for the Blue Tigers, SBU answered in the bottom of the second with a 2-RBI single off the bat of Dominic Tellez that scored Raydley Legito and Marcos Franjul. For the next three innings, the game shifted to a pitchers dual as both teams were held scoreless until Lincoln added another run in the top of the 6th, bringing the score to 4-2. After the Blue Tigers added three more runs in the top of the 8th, the Bearcats tried to put together a rally in the bottom of the 9th. Franjul got things started by reaching first on a hit by pitch and Legito reached on a Blue Tiger error. After a passed ball scored Franjul, Tellez notched his third RBI of the game on a single that scored Legito, bringing the score to 4-7 in favor of Lincoln. 
 
On the mound, starter Roberto Garcia finished with the loss after going seven strong innings that featured four strikeouts. Nash Crosby and Caden Norman each saw one inning of relief action.
 
Game 2: W, 12-2
SBU broke through offensively as they scored six runs in the bottom of the third inning.
Tellez continued his hot streak by leading the inning off with a single. Cole Reece and Conner Hammonds each reached base on a walk to load the bases for the Bearcats. Tellez crossed the plate on a wild pitch before Reece joined him on a passed ball. Conner Hammonds came across the plate on an RBI single off the bat of Tre Mungin before Mungin scored off a single by Mel Mulholland, bringing the score to 4-0. SBU scored their fifth run on an RBI single from Jared Pugrad and Mulholland manufactured the sixth run by stealing third, causing an overthrow from the catcher that brought him home. 
 
The Bearcats added another run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double from Sam Schmidt that scored Tellez before scoring three more in the bottom of the fifth. After Mulholland reached on a hit by pitch and swiped another bag, he scored on a Blue Tiger error. Tellez followed that up with an RBI double that scored Jack Harris and Cole Reece closed out the inning with an RBI single that pushed across Tellez. 
 
Moving to the 6th, Tre Mungin led things off with a walk and Mulholland and Ruderman loaded the bases on back-to-back walks. Pugrad ripped one up the middle, scoring both Ruderman and Mungin to cap the scoring for the Bearcats. Lincoln scored two in the top of the 7th, making the final score 12-2.
 
Ryan McClish pitched a near complete game gem to secure his fourth win of the season. He finished with 10 K's and only gave up two hits before Cody Gibson came in and closed things out for the Bearcats. 
 
SBU will battle the Blue Tigers again Monday in another double header matchup at Dodson Field in Bolivar, MO. The games will be at 12 and 3 PM.