After kicking off the home portion of their schedule with a loss against St. Louis University, the Lion’s second home series of the 2024 season was a busy one.
The Lions played four games in three days against Bradley University and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, including a doubleheader on March 3.
In the opening game of the weekend, Lindenwood won 8-7 against Omaha on March 1. The Lions were playing from behind early, as starter Zach Buschschulte allowed four earned runs in the top of the first inning. However, three innings later, Lindenwood responded with a big inning of their own, scoring five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Jack Meyer singled up the middle to kick scoring off for Lindenwood, driving in Bryson Arnette. Filip Sarota drove in a run on a sacrifice fly shortly after, with Evan Funkhouser doing the same two at-bats later. A few batters later, James Jett drove in two runs on a single to left field, driving in Anthony Stellato and Logan Stevens.
Buschschulte ended up going five innings in the game, allowing just four runs in the first inning, and striking out five batters. He was relieved by Carson Subbert, who went two and a third innings, allowing two runs on four hits, and striking out two batters. Easton Rakers finished the game on the mound for Lindenwood and recorded the win. He went an inning and two-thirds, allowing one run, and striking out three. Those additional three runs for Omaha came in the seventh and eighth innings, setting the score up to be 7-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning.
However, the Lions weren’t done. They rallied in the inning, with Arnette driving in two runs on a single to tie the game, and then being chased home on a game-winning RBI single by Meyer two batters later.
In the team’s first game against Bradley University on Saturday, Lindenwood recorded its first shutout, winning 5-0. Lindenwood pitcher Eli Brown pitched six and two-thirds innings, allowing three hits, striking out seven batters, and earning the win in the process.
The Lions offense backed Brown early, as Arnette drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the first inning, and Tyson Ludwig drove in another run in the second inning on a ground out. From there, both teams were held scoreless until the eighth inning, when Lindenwood added three more runs. Dawson Hokuf doubled in a run to kick the inning off, with Stevens driving him in on a double of his own. Ethan Abercrombie finished the game’s scoring by driving in Stevens with a single of his own.
After Brown was lifted from the game, Daniel Darin and Aaron Juengers combined for two and a third innings out of the bullpen, allowing only one hit between them, which was charged to Darin. Juengers struck out a batter, and Darin struck out two.
To finish the weekend, the Lions faced Bradley and Omaha again in a doubleheader on Sunday. In the game against Omaha, Lindenwood won again 4-1, with the team again getting a quality start from their pitcher. Josh Newell earned the win, as he pitched six scoreless innings, allowing three hits, and striking out three batters. Bennett Stice relieved Newell, and pitched two and a third additional scoreless innings, allowing two hits, and striking out three batters of his own. Juengers got the last two outs of the game. On the offensive side of the game, Funkhouser started the scoring for Lindenwood with an RBI bunt single in the second inning. The team scored two runs in the fourth inning, Kam Edwards generated two runs, driving in a run on a fielder’s choice, and allowing another run to score after stealing a base. The Lions added one more run in the eighth inning, Mitch Cummins was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, driving in the final run.
In the last game of the weekend, the Lions faced off once again with Bradley University. The Lions were again victorious by a score of 9-3, with Preston Salazar pitching five innings, allowing three runs, on six hits, and striking out eight en route to the win. The offense scored two runs in the second, with Colin Shea singling in two runs, and Jett lifting a three-run home run over the left-field fence. Ludwig singled in a run on a sac bunt in the third inning to add one more. The Lions added two more runs in the sixth, with Chase Honeycutt scoring on a wild pitch, and Shea driving in another run on a triple. In the seventh, Honeycutt drove in the ninth run of the game on a single.
After Salazar, Jett Jackson pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts, and Easton Rakers pitched two scoreless with three strikeouts, and Darin completed the game with a scoreless inning of his own.
Lindenwood’s weekend sweep moves their 2024 season record to 5-6.
From here, the Lions go out on a lengthy road schedule, facing Mizzou, Murray State, Southern Illinois, UAB, Eastern Illinois, SIUE, and Bradley. They return home for a three-game series with Little Rock on March 28 through March 30.
