Notables
-Wheaton College is ranked #25 in the D3baseball.com poll
-Saints trailed 3-0 entering the bottom of the seventh
-Pearson and Harding each had two hits
AUBURNDALE, Fla. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team came back late to beat No. 25 Wheaton College (Mass.) 4-3 on a walk-off Thursday at the RussMatt Invitational.
How It Happened
The Saints were locked into a pitcher's duel early with the Lyons (5-2). The first runs were scored by Wheaton in the top of the third inning with two singles and some timely productive outs. The Lyons would tack on another run in the top of the seventh inning when Willy Boyd singled and stole second and third base and then driven in on a groundout.
The Saints would struggle to get anything going offensively until they threatened the Lyons' lead in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Eric Pearson (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) led off with a single, followed by an
Aaron Weber (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Pierz HS) single.
Conor Wollenzien (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West HS) then reached base on an error and Pearson scored on the poor throw. Weber then scored on a Mitch Olson groundout.
After a quiet bottom of the eighth for the Saints and Wheaton going scoreless in the top of the ninth, CSS came to plate to win. Again, Pearson reached on a single to lead of the inning. Following a Weber flyout, Wollenzien singled. Pinch runners
Marty Kalina (Montgomery, Minn./Tri-City United HS) and
Braydon Hanson (Monticello, Minn./Monticello HS (UW-Whitewater)) advanced to second and third on a Wheaton wild pitch. Kalina was then driven in by an Olson groundout to tie the game.
Lane Girtz (Pierz, Minn./Pierz Healy HS) came into pinch-hit, but Hanson would make a great read on a wild pitch to score the winning run for the Saints.
Pitching
Isaac Rocha (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna HS) started on the mound for the Saints and threw well. He surrendered just three runs and struck out six Lyons batters over seven innings of work.
Aidan Zurn (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) then made his first appearance of the season in relief and threw two scoreless innings to earn the win. For Wheaton, Paul Prue started and threw six innings of one-run ball.
Offensively
Zach Harding (Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing HS) and Pearson each had multi-hit games for the Saints. Olson drove in two runs despite not getting a hit in the book. For the Lyons, Nick Raposo had two hits and drove in a run.
Up Next
The Saints (2-3) have two games on Friday at the RussMatt Invitational. At 1:45 p.m. (ET) they will take on Keene State College (N.H.) and at 5:15 p.m. (ET) they face No. 13 Concordia University Texas. Both games will take place at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex.
