Notables-A. Colvard extends hitting streak to 18 games-A. Colvard and Neutzling have reached base in every game this season-CSS' first loss this season when leading after six innings-First meeting between the two programs (Greenville is a member of the UMAC in football only)
AUBURNDALE, Fla. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team was stunned in a game one loss to Greenville College (Ill.) on Thursday, but responded with a convincing game two victory.
Game 1: Greenville 7, CSS 6 (F/8)In the first seven-inning game of the day, the Saints could not hold onto a five-run lead entering the bottom seventh and ultimately lost 7-6 in eight innings.
The Saints were seemingly cruising along building a 6-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Austin Colvard (Little Canada, Minn./Roseville HS) had a RBI triple and a RBI single and also scored on a wild pitch.
Jake Kuschke (Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi HS ),
Trevor Bernsdorf (Meadowlands, Minn./Floodwood HS ) and
Steven Neutzling (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral ) also had RBIs for the Saints.
Trailing 6-1, the Panthers led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk. A CSS error followed, which unfortunately would be a theme in the game. After a pitching change, a balk put runners at second and third with no outs. A hard hit ball that was too tough to handle brought both runners in to cut the margin to 6-3 with still no outs.
After another walk and pitching change, Greenville had a RBI single to make it 6-4. Another St. Scholastica error loaded the bases. The Saints then got a double play, but a run came in to make it 6-5 with two outs and a runner on third.
Greenville completed the comeback with a base hit to center to tie the game at 6-6 and send the contest to extra innings.
After the Saints went down quietly in the top of the eighth, the Panthers loaded the bases with no outs. CSS would get a ground ball and attempted a home-to-first double play, but would commit another error which allowed the winning run to score and give Greenville the 7-6 victory.
A. Colvard was 3-for-4 and a home run shy of the cycle with two RBIs and two runs scored. Four other Saints had two hits in the 13-hit attack.
Game 2: CSS 8, Greenville 1The Saints fell behind 1-0 in game two, before scoring eight consecutive runs to win 8-1.
Greenville got its first run on a double steal attempt in the top of the second. The Saints were held scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when Neutzling hit a double to bring in T. Bernsdorf.
St. Scholastica took the lead in the bottom of the fifth when
Riley Bernsdorf (Meadowlands, Minn. /Floodwood HS) scored on a
Drew Colvard (Little Canada, Minn./Roseville HS ) RBI.
Brian Minks (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral HS ) then hit a two-out, two-run double to make it 4-1.
The Saints added four runs in the sixth.
Haydn Lanoue (Rosemount, Minn. /Rosemount HS ) brought in two runs with a single and Minks had a RBI single. There would be no come back in this one as the Saints closed it out 8-1.
Gino Strebing (Tucson, Ariz./Santa Rita HS (Rainy River CC) ) allowed just three hits and struck out two to earn the complete game victory. Minks was 3-for-4 with three RBIs to lead the offense. The Saints finished with 11 hits.
Up Next:The Saints (6-5) conclude spring break play at the RussMatt Invitational with a single game against St. Olaf College tomorrow at 10 a.m. (ET).
