Notables
- CSS has now won 50 straight at Wade Stadium
- The Saints are on an eight-game win streak
- Turner leads the UMAC in saves, recording his fifth of the year
- Alcoverde is the lone pitcher in the UMAC with an ERA under 2.00 (1.98)
- Neutzling has a 13-game hitting streak
DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team finished off its three-game weekend at Wade Stadium with yet another victory, taking down the Bethel University Royals by a score of 3-2 on Sunday afternoon.
Neutzling's Explosive First Inning
After holding the Royals hitless in the top-half of the first inning, the red-hot Saints came to the plate in the bottom-half of the inning with hopes of putting up 10+ runs for the eighth consecutive game.
It certainly looked as if that was the way the game was going to go, as the Saints put up three quick runs in the inning. Austin Colvard (Little Canada, Minn./Roseville HS) got things rolling with a lead-off single, followed by a Brian Minks (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral HS ) single to put two on with no one out. After a strike out, Steven Neutzling (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral ) went to the plate with the pressure of trying to plate the first run for CSS. Not only did he plate one, but even scored himself as he hit a three-run bomb for his fifth home run of the year. That would be the end of the scoring for CSS in the first inning, as well as the game.
Alcoverde Survives Sixth Inning Scare
Neutzling's home run would prove to be enough for Martin Alcoverde (Tucson, Ariz. /Sahuarita HS (Mesabi Range CC)), as he threw five scoreless innings before working out of a jam in the top of the sixth. After getting a quick groundout to start the sixth, the Royals started to get the bats going.
Back-to-back hits by the Bethel lineup would make the game 3-1, which was then followed by a wild-pitch ball four on the very next batter to put runners on the corners with one out. Alcoverde held his ground, however, forcing Bethel's Ryan Evenson to groundout into a double play to end the inning.
Intense Ninth
Isaac Rocha (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna HS) took the mound for Alcoverde in the top-half of the seventh and was cruising through the Bethel lineup all the way up until the final inning. Matt Conrad singled to center to start off the rally for the Royals. Conrad would be left out to dry, however, as Rocha forced the next Royal into a groundout double play. With two down and no one out the Saints looked to be in prime position to take the game.
Bethel wouldn't go away quietly. Evenson won a hard-fought battle against Rocha to earn a clutch two-out walk. The Saints signaled to the bullpen, calling on relief pitcher Jake Turner (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS ). A pinch runner would be called out for the Royals as well, who did his part by stealing second on the next at bat. Turner would then give up a single to Sam Horner that would score the second-base runner to make the game 3-2. A wild pitch then allowed Horner into scoring position. Despite the momentum of the two-out rally, Bethel wasn't able to capitalize as its last batter grounded out to Neutzling to end the game.
Top Performers
St. Scholastica was led offensively by Neutzling, who was the lone producer for the Saints on the day by going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a home run. Colvard also had a nice day for himself with a 2-for-4 performance. Alcoverde had a solid day on the mound, throwing six innings and only giving up one run to improve to 3-0 on the year.
Bethel was led by Conrad, who went 3-for-4 on the day with a RBI.
Up Next
The Saints (15-7) will now head across the bridge to square off against UW-Superior on Wednesday. It will be a doubleheader with the first game starting at 1 p.m.
