Box Score FT. PIERCE, Fla. (csssaints.com) – With St. Scholastica trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh, sophomore Jordan Risse (Sioux Falls, S.D./Washington HS ) belted a three-run home run over the left field fence the give CSS baseball the lead for good as the Saints defeated Hilbert College (N.Y.) 8-6 on Thursday.

After a scoreless inning-and-a-half, the Saints plated two runs in the bottom of the second. Tyler Henderson (Chisago Lakes, Minn./Chisago Lakes HS) doubled and later scored on a Brian Minks (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral HS ) double. Minks then scored on a Padraic Getchell (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS (North Dakota) ) single.

The teams exchanged runs in the third and fourth innings to make it 4-2 CSS after four. In his first collegiate start, St. Scholastica's Sean Imes (Evergreen, Colo./Evergreen HS ) had seven strikeouts in the first 3.2 innings, but Hawks started to put the pressure on in the seventh.

Hilbert had runners on first and second with one out in the inning and ripped a base hit to right, the right fielder Risse came up throwing and gunned down the runner at the plate to keep it 4-2. However, the Hawks were not done in the inning as a double, wild pitch and single followed plating three runs to give Hilbert a 5-4 lead.

In the bottom frame, Parker Olson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS (Minn.-Duluth)) walked and Tyler Duex (Bloomer, Wis./Chippewa Falls HS (UW-Superior) ) singled setting it up for Risse. The sophomore proceeded to hit his first collegiate home run over the left field fence to give the Saints a 7-5 lead. Shayne Ciernia (Eagan, Minn./Breck HS ) scored on a passed ball later in the inning to make it 8-5.

The Hawks loaded the bases with two outs on Logan Hulst (Roseau, Minn./Roseau HS) in the eighth, so head coach Corey Kemp called on the closer Thomas Rogers (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet HS ). A passed ball would score a run in the inning, but Rogers got out of further trouble keeping it 8-6 after eight.

In the ninth, Hilbert put runners at the corners with nobody out. However, the Saints would get a foul out, a caught stealing and finally a strikeout to end the game with an 8-6 victory.

Hulst picked up his second win of the season in relief. Imes went 6.2 innings, striking out 10 in the no decision. Rogers earned his second save of the season. Risse finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Getchell was also 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs.

The Saints (5-3) will play a doubleheader tomorrow in Vero Beach as they face Bridgewater State University (Mass.) starting at 10 a.m. (ET). Listen to all of the action live on Saints Sports Net.