Notables
-CSS extends its win streak to 12 games
-Weber recorded five hits in nine at-bats across two games
-Sande records UMAC-best fifth victory
DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team celebrated Senior Day with a sweep of the University of Minnesota Morris at Wade Stadium on Saturday, winning 11-1 in game one and 9-4 in the nightcap.
Game 1: CSS 11, UMM 1 (F/7)
All of the Saints scoring plays resulted in one run, except for one instance in which two runs came in.
The Saints opened the scoring in the bottom of the second after
Eric Pearson (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) scored thanks to a wild pitch by the Cougars.
Brad Fossum (Sturgeon Lake, Minn./Moose Lake HS (Concordia-St. Paul)) then walked with the bases loaded to allow
Lane Girtz (Pierz, Minn./Pierz Healy HS) to score.
Joey Zwak (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) also walked with the bases loaded to bring in
James Fuerniss (Lonsdale, Minn./New Prague HS), giving the Saints a 3-0 lead heading into the third.
CSS' next run came in the fourth inning when a triple by Fossum drove in
Mitchell Olson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) to make it 4-0. Fossum was then able to score off a fielding error to increase the Saints' lead to five runs.
The Cougars' lone run came in the fifth inning, but the Saints responded with four runs of their own to make it 9-1. And the Saints wrapped up the game with two more runs in the seventh inning, via RBIs by Fuerniss and Olson to end the contest by mercy rule.
Jake Sande (Hayward, Wis./Hayward HS) pitched the first six innings for CSS, giving up just four hits and one run while recording three strikeouts to earn the win.
Grant Taival (Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi HS) pitched for the final inning, only allowing one hit. Fossum was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Weber was 3-for-4 at the plate, a home run shy of the cycle.
Game 2: CSS 9, UMM 4
The second game proved to be much tighter until the Saints scored eight runs in their final four times up to bat to win 9-4.
After two scoreless innings, Morris opened the scoring in the top of the third to take an early 1-0 lead. However, the Saints responded in the bottom half with a single by Pearson that drove in
Aaron Weber (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Pierz HS) to tie the game at 1-1. After another scoreless inning in the fourth, CSS added three runs in the fifth. A single by Weber drove in Zwak, and a double by Pearson allowed Weber to score. The third run came after a single by
Drew Sathrum (Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo HS) drove in Pearson to make it 4-1 to the Saints.
The Cougars were then able to get two runs back in the sixth, but an error later allowed
Tim Munn (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) to take home and make it 5-3 to CSS. UMM was able to make it a one-run game again after scoring a run in the seventh, but a run by Pearson via an RBI by
Cody Venske (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) increased CSS' cushion to two.
The Saints would then add three more runs in the eighth inning. First, a triple by Zwak drove in Fossum and Munn. Then, Zwak was able to score after an RBI by Weber to make the final score 9-4 to CSS.
Grant Mergen (Maple Lake, Minn./Maple Lake HS) pitched five innings, giving up six hits and three runs to earn his first collegiate win.
Matt Tautges (Fort Ripley, Minn./Pierz HS) pitched the last three inning, only allowing four hits and one run to earn his first collegiate save.
Zwak was 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Up Next
The Saints travel to Minneapolis on Wednesday for a doubleheader against UMAC opponent North Central University (Minn.). The first game is set to begin at 1:30 p.m.
