MOLINE, Ill. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team trailed for much of the game against DePauw University (Ind.) on Friday until it battled back to tie it in the eighth. However, DePauw would win it in the bottom of the ninth 6-5 to end the Saints' season at the NCAA Division III Augustana Regional.

After a quick first inning and two quick outs in the top of the second, the Saints got the scoring started after two outs. Two straight walks put runners at first and second. Brian Minks (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral HS ) followed with a RBI single to bring in Jordan Risse (Sioux Falls, S.D./Washington HS ) to make it 1-0.

It was another two-out rally in the third inning, but this time it was in favor of the Tigers. Two straight doubles, followed by a single made it 2-1 DePauw after three innings.

An error hurt the Saints in the fourth inning as two unearned runs came across for the Tigers to make it 4-1 DePauw.

CSS got the bats going again in the fifth with three straight singles to begin the inning. Austin Colvard (Little Canada, Minn./Roseville HS) drove in Minks on the third hit to make it 4-2. The Saints had Padraic Getchell (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS (North Dakota) ) on third with no outs in the inning, but he would be stranded after a caught stealing and back-to-back groundouts ended the inning.

The Tigers extended their lead back to three runs in the sixth with two-out RBI single. The Saints answered in the seventh as Minks scored on a Trevor Bernsdorf (Meadowlands, Minn./Floodwood HS (Doane) ) groundout to make the score 5-3. Unfortunately, the Saints stranded a runner on third in that inning as well.

In the eighth, the Saints had runners at second and third with one out. Tyler Henderson (Chisago Lakes, Minn./Chisago Lakes HS) would be cut down at home plate for the second out of the inning. Minks then stepped in and delivered his third single of the game to bring in Parker Olson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS (Minn.-Duluth)). Getchell came up next and put the ball in play. After a deflection off the pitcher, Bret Moody (Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo HS) beat out a throw to the plate to tie the game at 5-5.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth. Robbie Stein led off for DePauw with a double. After an intentional walk, the Tigers laid down a sacrifice and the Saints tried to get Stein at third, but an error loaded the bases with no outs. Brenden Pashia then stepped in and put the ball in play to get the game-winning run in from third and give DePauw a 6-5 victory.

Thomas Rogers (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet HS ) pitched the final 2.1 innings and allowed only that one run to pick up the loss. Minks had a great game at the plate going 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Colvard also had a pair of hits for the Saints.

The Saints season comes to an end with a 30-12 record. The Saints say goodbye to seniors Tyler Henderson (Chisago Lakes, Minn./Chisago Lakes HS), Parker Olson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS (Minn.-Duluth)), Thomas Rogers (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet HS ) and Brian Houdek (Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi HS). The senior class accumulated 131 wins and was 74-2 in conference play.

For future news on the St. Scholastica baseball program, keep checking csssaints.com