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OSHKOSH, Wis. – In a game in which it seemed that nobody wanted to win, #Paul Kolodge# (Jr.-Cloquet, Minn.) singled in #Chad Peterson# (So.-New Brighton, Minn./St. Anthony Village) in the bottom of the 11th as the St. Scholastica baseball team prevailed 7-6 in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Oshkosh Regional at E.J. Schneider Field.

The Saints move on to face the University of St. Thomas tonight at 7 p.m. This was the first extra inning and walk-off win for CSS this season. The last extra innings victory for the Saints was in 2007 against Manhattanville down in Florida. The Saints are now 36-5 overall with the 36 wins tied for fourth-most in team history.

The Saints got off to superb start as #Brian Marshik# (So.-Arden Hills, Minn./Mound View) led off the bottom of the first with a home run to left, which was his first collegiate home run. Later in the inning with the bases loaded Chad Peterson (New Brighton, Minn./St. Anthony Village HS) scored on a groundout to make it 2-0.

The Saints added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a pair of Green Knight errors. After fouling off numerous pitches, #Kyle Wojtysiak# (Sr.-Proctor, Minn.) hit a ball through the left side and the ball slipped past the left fielder, which allowed #Steve Gerten# (Jr.-West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley) to scored from first. Later in the inning with the bases loaded and one out, #Sean Claugherty# (Jr.-Oakdale, Minn./Tartan) hit a ground ball back to the pitcher, but the second baseman would throw the ball away trying to turn the double play, which scored #Joe Link# (So.-Woodbury, Minn.) and Wojtysiak and make it 5-0.

The Green Knights would get things going offensively in the top of the fifth driving in four runs in the inning. CSS would get one more run in the bottom of the sixth thanks to another St. Norbert error as a throw from the shortstop pulled the first baseman off the bag, which would have ended the inning, but allowed a run to score.

St. Norbert, however, got that run back in top of the seventh on a RBI-double. The score remained 6-5 entering the top of the ninth until St. Norbert's Jared Yost hit the first pitch he saw way over the left field fence to tie the game up at 6-6. CSS pitcher #Josh Retka# (So.-Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) bounced back nicely after giving up the homer, sitting down the next three hitters. The Saints then went down quietly in the ninth as for a third time in three games in this regional we headed to extra innings.

The Green Knights put runners at first and third with one out in the top of the 10th, but Retka hung tough and got back-to-back fly outs to end the threat. The Saints went down in order in the bottom half and the Green Knights did the same in the top of the 11th.

Chad Peterson (New Brighton, Minn./St. Anthony Village HS) would get a leadoff infield single to begin the inning in the bottom half of the 11th. Sean Claugherty (Oakdale, Minn./Tartan HS) followed with a shot down the left field line that was just out of the reach of the diving left fielder and the Saints had runners at second and third with nobody out. After a strikeout, Paul Kolodge (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet Senior HS) stepped to the plate and ripped a base hit through the left side to knock in Peterson and give the Saints the 7-6 victory in 11 innings.

Josh Retka (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview HS) struck out three in four innings of relief to improve to 4-1 on the year. #Peter Burg# (Sr.-St. Joseph, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral) started the game and went seven innings to earn the no decision. Brian Marshik (Arden Hills, Minn./Mounds View HS ) and Chad Peterson (New Brighton, Minn./St. Anthony Village HS) each had three hits to lead the Saints with the bat.

The Saints and Tommies will get underway at approximately 7 p.m. tonight at E.J. Schneider Field. All of the action can be heard on ESPN Radio 560-WEBC.