Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS – The 14th-ranked St. Scholastica baseball team dropped a pair of one-run decisions to regional-rival University of St. Thomas on Monday night in both teams' season openers at Mall of America Field.

In game one, the Tommies had their first two runners reach base in the top of the first, but the Saints got a key double play to end the threat. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third when the Saints loaded the bases with no outs. CSS got only a pair of RBI groundouts by Kyle Flagstad (Hinckley, Minn./Hinckley-Finlayson HS) and Kyle Moody (Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo HS ) and led 2-0 after three.

The Tommies answered in the top of the fourth with three runs in the inning. The St. Thomas rally started with a ground rule double with one out and they proceeded to load the bases. Could have been worse, but a great snare by Jake Casareto (International Falls, Minn./Falls HS) with the bases loaded who then touched second to turn the double play ended the inning.

The Saints threatened in the bottom of the seventh. Andy Schwantes (Lakeville, Minn./Apple Valley HS (Minn.-Duluth)) led off the inning with a double. After a sacrifice bunt, moved Schwantes over to third, the Saints unfortunately would strike out twice to end the game.

Jake Nystrom (Fargo, N.D./Fargo North HS) picked up loss for the Saints despite striking out seven and allowing only five hits in seven innings. Kyle Jensen (Wyoming, Minn./Forest Lake HS) had two hits.

In the nightcap, The Tommies took an early 1-0 lead, pushing a run across in the bottom of the first. CSS would not have a hit or a base runner through the first three innings, but got things going in the fourth.

David Vogelgesang (Hastings, Minn./Hastings HS) led off the inning with a double. Parker Olson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS (Minn.-Duluth)) followed with a single to plate Vogelgesang. Flagstad followed with a double and Moody had a RBI groundout. Casareto then had a RBI single to make the score 3-1 CSS.

It remained that way until the bottom of the sixth when with two outs the Tommies hit a ball into the left center and the runner on first was waved home, but slipped rounding third. The Tommie runner proceeded to get up and run home and the relay throw was off the mark to make it 3-2.

After the Saints went down in the top of the seventh, the Tommies drew a walk, had a bunt single and then reached on an error to load the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, J.D. Dorgan ripped a ball down the left field line that just stayed fair and just out of the reach of a diving Flagstad as the Tommies won on a walk-off with two runs coming across for the 4-3 victory.

Jensen went the distance for the Saints, striking out six in the loss. Olson and Tom Juberian (Park Rapids, Minn./Park Rapids HS) each had two hits.

The Saints will be back in action this weekend with four, nine-inning games in St. Louis against Buena Vista University (Iowa) and Washington University-St. Louis. The action begins Saturday at 9 a.m. against Buena Vista. The games can be heard live on csssaints.com.