ROLLA, Mo. – A pair of come-from-behind wins over Maryville Saturday at the S&T Ballpark – both of which saw Missouri S&T overcome a four-run deficit – has put the Miners in a position where they could earn bigger things on Sunday when they finish the series with the Saints.

The Miners scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to upend the Saints 11-9 in game one, then scored four in the bottom of the sixth to overtake them in the nightcap 7-4 to put themselves in a position to gain at least a share of the Great Lakes Valley Conference's West Division title Sunday.

With Saturday's sweep, Missouri S&T enters the last day of conference play one-half game in back of Rockhurst at 17-9 in the GLVC; the Hawks are 18-9 and will play a single game at home Sunday against Truman State.  Quincy, who led the division at the start of the weekend, dropped three of four at William Jewell and is now behind both teams at 18-10.

The Miners, who are currently ranked fifth in the NCAA Division II Midwest region, also clinched a berth to the GLVC Tournament with Saturday's sweep.

S&T fell behind 4-0 in both games by the time it came to the plate in the third inning, but was able to rally on both occasions to win and in the process, tie the school record for wins in a season with 32.

In game one, the Saints (21-25, 12-14 GLVC) took the lead with a four-run third, highlighted by Dalton Schumer's three-run homer.  The Miners (32-15) answered back in the bottom of the inning, which started when Tyler Johnson (Union, Mo./Union) was hit by a pitch to give S&T its first baserunner of the game.

With one out, Adam Richter (Breese, Ill./Mater Dei) dropped in a hit down the line in left, which was followed by a run-scoring hit off the bat of Tyler Bodenstab (Independence, Mo./Truman) – the first of four straight run-scoring hits off his bat.   Justus Nelson (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) walked to load the bases, then Eli Miller (Shelbyville, Ill./Shelbyville) beat out a potential double play ball that allowed Richter to score. 

Following another walk, this one to Nick Ulrich (St. Louis, Mo./Vianney), Lance Portwood (Edmond, Okla./Edmond Santa Fe) singled through the hole into right to bring home two runs to tie the game.

S&T took the lead in the fourth when a throwing error allowed Johnson to score, then the Miners added to the lead on an RBI hit by Bodenstab and a run-scoring triple by Miller.

Schumer hit his second homer of the game, a two-run shot, in the fifth to bring the Saints back to within a run, then S&T got a run in the bottom half when Collin Zurweller (St. Peters, Mo./Fort Zumwalt East) tripled and scored on Johnson's sacrifice fly.  However, Maryville scored twice in the sixth to knot the score at eight.

Bodenstab broke that tie with a one-out homer in the sixth, but the Saints drew even again in the eighth when Sean Murphy's sacrifice fly scored Payton.  Moments later, the Miners escaped further damage when Luke Marcheschi (Bloomington, Ill./Central Catholic) got Tyler Catlett to hit into an inning-ending double play.

The Miners proceeded to get the lead back in the bottom of the eighth, as Johnson led off the inning with a double, moved ahead on a sacrifice bunt and scored when Richter singled past a diving Zack Ruckman at second.  Bodenstab then followed by driving in Richter with a double into the gap in left center to compete a four-hit, four-RBI performance.

Ethan Krenning (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South) preserved the win for Marcheschi by pitching around a hit batter and a walk with two outs to record his eighth save.

The Miners outhit the Saints 13-11 in the contest as Johnson and Richter also had two hits.

Game two started in a similar manner as game one, as the Saints scored twice in the first on a two-run homer by Schumer and two more in the third on Murphy's two-run single.

S&T responded in the fourth as the first two hitters reached without a ball leaving the infield.  Johnson reached on an infield single to short, then Miller got on when Ruckman bobbled a ground ball.  Maryville starter Tyler Omlid got the next two hitters, but Zurweller tripled down the line in right as Payton was unable to make a sliding catch, allowing both runners to score.

Zurweller scored after an opposite field single by Lucas Swindle (Weldon Spring, Mo./Lutheran-St. Charles) to cut the lead to 4-3.

Aaron Bedsworth (New Bloomfield, Mo./New Bloomfield) kept the Saints off the scoreboard in the fifth and sixth, setting up the Miners for their decisive rally in the sixth.

Ulrich started the inning by dropping a bunt down the third base line and beating the throw to first, then Portwood lined a single to left and Zurweller reached when the Saints couldn't handle his bunt to load the bases.

Swindle looped a single into right to tie the game, then after the Saints summoned Robbie Gordon into the game in relief of Omlid, Trevor Karbowski (Standish, Mich./Sterling Central) lashed Gordon's second pitch through a drawn-in infield to score Portwood and Zurweller and give the Miners the lead.

Richter followed with a hit to drive in the fourth run of the inning before Bedsworth set down the Saints in the seventh to pick up his eighth win and seventh complete game of the year.

The S&T lefthander, one of 13 seniors honored prior to Saturday's twinbill, fanned seven and gave up seven hits on the afternoon.  The Miners had an 11-7 advantage in hits in game two.

The Miners and Saints will wrap up their four-game weekend series with a noon doubleheader on Sunday.