Box Score Box Score

***Note: Sunday's scheduled game at the University of Illinois-Chicago has been moved up to Saturday at 3:30 p.m. due to the threat of rain in the forecast on Sunday. The game can be heard live on csssaints.com.***

FT. PIERCE, Fla. – The 14th-ranked St. Scholastica baseball team struggled offensively and had a couple of defensive lapses in its 3-2 loss to Gettysburg College (Pa.) on Thursday.

The Saints (7-2) would leave at least one runner on base in eight of the nine innings and had their leadoff batter reach base five times, but ended up stranding nine on base.

CSS had a runner picked off at third in the first inning and had two runners get out at third in the third inning. The Saints stranded a runner 90 feet away in the fourth and left a runner in scoring position in the fifth.

In the meantime, #Michael Swenson# was shutting down the Gettysburg bats, allowing just one hit through the first five innings.

The Saints finally got on the board in the top of the sixth when #Joe Link# came across on a Bullet error. However, they only got one run in the inning even though after the error they had runners at second and third with no one out.

It would be a CSS error that hurt the Saints in the bottom of the sixth as the Bullets (5-5) tied the game on a throw way on a sacrifice attempt. Gettysburg then took the lead on a RBI-double to make it 2-1.

The Saints kept it a one-run game in the bottom of the seventh as #Scott Greening# threw out a runner at the plate. With that momentum, Joe Link (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury HS) led off the eighth with a double and later came around to score on a fielder's choice to tie the game at 2-2.

Another error cost the Saints in the bottom of the eighth with Gettysburg getting a runner to second with one out on a Saints miscue. The Bullets then got a clutch two-out single to bring in the game-winning run. CSS got a runner on with two outs in the ninth, but could not do anything with it as Gettysburg prevailed 3-2.

Much like the Washington University at St. Louis loss earlier this season, the pitching delivered for the Saints, but the lack of defense and offense led to the loss. Michael Swenson (Scandia, Minn./Forest Lake HS) struck out seven in seven innings and allowed juts five hits. #Dan Ubl# picked up the loss, despite giving up just one hit and striking out two and not allowing an earned run. Joe Link (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury HS) had three of the six hits for the Saints and scored both runs.

The Saints will play their last games in Florida tomorrow when they will face Richard Stockton College (N.J.) for a doubleheader. The games will take place in Vero Beach with the first pitch scheduled for 9 a.m. local time.