ELSAH, Ill. – The W baseball racked up big numbers for the third-straight game in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) series at Principia College, scoring a 24-8 rout at Cheatham Field. The Owls (11-8, 6-0 SLIAC) certainly didn't get cheated at Cheatham with the bats, outscoring the Panthers (2-12, 0-6 SLIAC) 50-21 in the series, while out-hitting the hosts, 47-34, on their own turf for the series sweep.
The win kept MUW's unblemished SLIAC record intact and the team in the league's upper echelon.
In all, six of The W starters finished their day with multi-hit games, headed by senior third-baseman
Colton Neal. Neal, making his ninth start of the season, went 4-for-4 with six runs batted in. His RBI total was bolstered by a third-inning grand slam. Neal also had a double and scored twice.
Chase Marshall, getting the nod at shortstop on Saturday, and junior designated hitter
Hastings Gibson (starting for the sixth time this season), both had 3-for-4 games at the plate and each laced a double, as well. Marshall scored three times and drove in a pair of runs, while Gibson crossed the plate twice and had four RBI.
Matthew Windham (2-4),
Zach Johnson (2-6), and
Elliott Turbyfill (2-5), each had multiple hits, all singles, as well. Windham scored twice and drove in two runs. Johnson and Turbyfill each scored three times and drove in a run.
Senior transfer catcher
Michael O'Neil went 1-for-2, but homered for the third-consecutive game with his two-run blast in the first inning to help set the tone of the game. O'Neil also had an RBI walk in the fourth and a sacrifice fly in the fifth, to give him four RBI for the day. In all, O'Neil walked three times.
In a weekend series where pitchers' earned run averages had about as much meaning as a diet at Thanksgiving, senior right-hander
Joseph Gantt was one of the few hurlers, from either team, to remain unscathed. Gantt was credited with the win over PC, thanks to his 2.0 innings of scoreless relief, scattering three hits and striking out one Panther.
In five appearances this season, Gantt has not been scored upon in his last four outings, last permitting a run on February 20 to Endicott College.
The W will next play a SLIAC single game at Lyon College on Tuesday (March 24/1 p.m.) in Batesville, Arkansas.
