Notables
-Opening day of college games at U.S. Bank this year
-Two seven-inning games
-CSS had 25 combined hits in the two games
-Neutzling was 4-for-7 with three RBIs on the day
-Macalester was a NCAA Regional team last season
MINNEAPOLIS (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team opened the 2018 season by sweeping a doubleheader from Macalester College on Tuesday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Game 1: CSS 10, Macalester 0
The Saints scored nine runs in the first three innings to run away from the Scots to begin the day.
CSS opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when
Riley Bernsdorf (Meadowlands, Minn./Floodwood HS) hit a two-out, two-run double that brought in
Conor Wollenzien (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West HS) and
Eric Pearson (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS). St. Scholastica then opened it up with a five-run second inning.
Steven Neutzling (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral) had a RBI single that scored
Braydon Hanson (Monticello, Minn./Monticello HS (UW-Whitewater)). The next batter, Wollenzien, hit a moon shot to right field, which cleared the purple baggie for a three-run home run. Later in the inning,
Chris Olson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) doubled in Bernsdorf to extend the lead to 7-0.
A Neutzling RBI double plated
Drew Colvard (Little Canada, Minn./Roseville HS) in the third to make it 8-0. Neutzling later scored on a wild pitch as the score stood at 9-0. Neutzling drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth to make the final 10-0.
While the offense was doing its thing,
Grant Rindal (Superior, Wis./Superior HS) allowed only one hit and two base runners in five innings of work to earn the win. Rindal had five strikeouts in his five innings of work. Freshmen
Dallas Miller (Big Lake, Minn./Big Lake HS) and
Matt Tautges (Fort Ripley, Minn./Pierz HS) pitched two hitless innings in relief.
Neutzling finished 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs and two runs scored. Colvard was 2-for-2 with three runs scored.
Game 2: CSS 7, Macalester 1
The CSS offense kept it going in game two, finishing with 15 hits and scoring at least one run in each of the final four innings to complete the sweep 7-1.
CSS loaded the bases in the top of the first with one out, but ended up scoreless for the inning.
Aaron Weber (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Pierz HS) led off the top of the second with a double and later scored on a
Joey Zwak (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) two-out RBI single to make it 1-0.
It remained 1-0 until the top of the fourth when it was Zwak with two outs again delivering with a double to left center to bring in Weber and Olson and extend the margin to 3-0.
After Macalester got its first run of the day in the bottom of the fourth, Weber and Hanson had a pair of two-out RBI singles in the fifth to make it 5-1.
Wollenzien had a RBI double in the sixth and Colvard had a RBI double in the seventh to make the final score 7-1.
Dan Hansen (Brooklyn Center, Minn./Park Center HS) got the start for the Saints in game two and was just as effective as Rindal was in game one. Hansen went four innings, scattered four hits and struck out six to earn the victory.
Joe Gonrowski (Elk River, Minn./Elk River HS) struck out three in two innings of relief and
Isaac Rocha (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna HS) struck out the side in the seventh to end it.
Zwak was 4-for-5 with three RBIs, while Weber was 3-for-3 with two runs scored.
Up Next:
The Saints (2-0) will next be in action in Florida during spring break as they open the Russmatt Invitational against Washington University-St. Louis on Sunday, March 11.
