Box Score Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

MANKATO, Minn. – The ninth-ranked St. Scholastica baseball team swept a crucial Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) doubleheader today at Bethany Lutheran, holding on to win game one, 9-7, and taking care of business in game two, 11-1.

The Saints have now won nine straight games and improve to 18-2 overall and 7-0 in the UMAC. The Vikings fall to 13-6 overall and 5-2 in the conference. CSS and Bethany Lutheran are projected to be the top two teams in the UMAC, so that made this doubleheader so critical.

Things looked bright for the Saints through the first six innings as they entered the bottom of the seventh with a 9-2 lead. However, the Vikings made things interesting by scoring four runs without recording an out to cut the margin to 9-6. With the bases loaded, Saints' pitcher #Jeff Adams# (Jr.-Two Harbors, Minn.) then got the batter to ground into a double play, but another run came across on the play to make it 9-7. Adams then got the next batter to pop up and the Saints survived 9-7.

The Saints built their lead right off the bat by scoring three runs in the top of the first. #Chad Peterson# (So.-New Brighton, Minn./St. Anthony Village) and #Brian Marshik# (So.-Arden Hills, Minn./Mounds View) scored on Bethany Lutheran errors and #Steve Gerten# (Jr.-West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley) scored on a wild pitch.

After the Vikings scored in the bottom of the first, the Saints put five runs on the board in the top of the fourth. #Joe Link# (So.-Woodbury, Minn.) scored on an error and #Paul Kolodge# (Jr.-Cloquet, Minn.) followed with a RBI-single. #Kyle Wojtysiak# (Sr.-Proctor, Minn.) then drew a bases loaded walk. #Nick Lee# (Sr.-Carlton, Minn.) capped the scoring in the inning with a two-run double. Joe Link (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury HS) scored on another Viking error in the top of the fifth to make it 9-2.

#Peter Burg# (Sr.-St. Joseph, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral) improved to 7-0 for CSS as he struck out six in six innings of work. Jeff Adams (Two Harbors, Minn./Two Harbors HS) earned his first collegiate save. #Sean Claugherty# (Jr.-Oakdale, Minn./Tartan) and Paul Kolodge (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet Senior HS) each had two hits to lead St. Scholastica at the plate.

Game two had a less dramatic ending as the Saints prevailed 11-1. Two CSS runs scored after an error in the outfield by the Vikings to give the Saints a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Later in the inning, #Brandon Peterson# (Fr.-Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley) had a RBI-double to make it 3-0.

In the third #Tom Juberian# (Fr.-Park Rapids, Minn.) had a RBI-single in the top half, but Vikings got that run back in the bottom half as the score entering the fourth was 4-1. Paul Kolodge (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet Senior HS) broke the game open in the top of the fifth with a two-run home run, his third of the season. Later in the innings Steve Gerten (West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) had a RBI-double to extend the lead to 7-1.

CSS then scored four runs in the top of the sixth as Brandon Peterson (Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) had a two-run single, Steve Gerten (West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) had a RBI-single, and Brandon Peterson (Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) scored on an error.

#Adian Kummet# (Sr.-Brainerd, Minn.) was effective on the mound to improve to 3-1. Kummet struck out eight and allowed four hits in six innings of work. At the plate, Brandon Peterson (Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) was 4-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Paul Kolodge (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet Senior HS) also added three RBIs.

The Saints will head over to Minnesota-Morris tomorrow for a doubleheader against the Cougars. The first game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. and can be heard on ESPN Radio 560-WEBC.