AMHERST, Mass. – Saint Louis University baseball split a doubleheader against the University of Massachusetts Friday afternoon defeating the Minutemen 8-3 to secure the Atlantic 10 Conference Regular-Season Championship.
 
The Billikens defeat of UMass locked up the No. 1 seed in next week's conference tournament championship giving Saint Louis the only first-round bye
 
Saint Louis jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first game at Earl Lorden Field, with an Ethan Sitzman double in the top of the fifth inning complimenting early-game singles from Easton Richter and Tyler Fogarty.
 
After allowing a lone run from the Minutemen in the fifth, Knox Preston tallied an RBI single, before blasting his fourth home run of his SLU career and first of the 2024 season, to boost the Billikens' lead to five runs.
 
Additional RBIs by Cole Smith and Patrick Clohisy further extended the Billikens' lead, ultimately giving them the 8-3 lead.
 
Jackson Holmes struck out five batters on the mound, earning the win to move to 9-2 on the year.
 
In game two of the doubleheader, the Minutemen struck early and often getting on the board in their opening at bat.
 
UMass poured on five additional runs in the ensuing innings, shutting the Billikens out, 6-0, for the first time since March 18 against Tulane.
 
The Billikens and Minutemen will conclude the three-game series and wrap up their respective regular-season slates tomorrow in Amherst. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. (CST).