Notables
-Fossum ties program record with six hits in game two win
-Dietz earns first collegiate win
-Series tied at 11-11
-The games were originally supposed to be held in Duluth, but were moved to La Crosse because of inclement weather
LA CROSSE, Wis. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team traveled to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Wednesday for a doubleheader, falling in the first game 8-7 and taking the second game 7-6.
Game 1: UWL 8, CSS 7
Trailing 7-6 heading into the ninth inning, CSS was able to tie the game at 7-7 on an
Eric Pearson (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) home run, but the Eagles were able to score on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth to win 8-7
CSS got on the board in the first inning after a single by
Conor Wollenzien (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West HS) allowed
Lane Girtz (Pierz, Minn./Pierz Healy HS) to score. Girtz scored again in the third inning, this time off an RBI by
Aaron Weber (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Pierz HS), to give the Saints a 2-0 lead. La Crosse hit a two-run home run in the third inning to tie the game at 2-2.
CSS regained the lead in the fifth inning after a ground out by Girtz drove in
Tim Munn (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS). Wollenzien was then able to score off a single to make it 4-2. The Saints scored two more after a single by
Cody Venske (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) drove in both Pearson and Weber. However, the Eagles made it a one-run game after scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-5 to CSS.
In the seventh inning, the Eagles tied the game at 6-6 with a home run and took their first lead of the game in the eighth inning. CSS tied the game in the ninth at 7-7 after a home run by Pearson, but the Eagles walked-off in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly to win it 8-7
Four different Saints recorded multiple hits: Girtz, Wollenzien, Weber and Pearson. Pearson along with
Cody Venske (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) also contributed two RBIs.
Game 2: CSS 7, UWL 6
CSS led for most of the nightcap, but went into the ninth inning with a 6-4 deficit after allowing four runs in the eighth. Fortunately, the Saints were able to score three runs in the ninth to take the 7-6 victory.
The Saints opened the scoring in the first inning after Weber walked with the bases loaded to drive in
Brad Fossum (Sturgeon Lake, Minn./Moose Lake HS (Concordia-St. Paul)). Girtz was then able to score off an RBI by Pearson to give CSS an early 2-0 lead. The next three innings were scoreless for both teams, until the fifth inning when the Eagles made it 2-1.
CSS then increased their lead to three runs after scoring two in the sixth. A single by Wollenzien drove in both Fossum and
Justin Fleming (Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS) to make it 4-1. But the Eagles pulled on back to make it 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth.
After a scoreless seventh inning and a scoreless eighth inning for the Saints, the Eagles (21-13) scored four runs in the eighth to make it 6-4 and take their first lead of the game.
The Saints responded offensively by scoring three runs in the top of the ninth. The first run came after a single by
Cole Tyman (Elk Mound, Wis./Elk Mound HS) drove in pinch-runner
Jeff LeMay (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS). Another pinch-runner
Drew Sathrum (Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo HS) scored after a single hit by
Mitchell Olson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) got under the left fielder's glove. Fossum drove in the game-winner with two outs on a single to right field scored Olson.
Freshman Daniel Dietz, who entered the game in relief in the eighth inning, struck out the side in the top of the ninth to earn his first collegiate win in only his second appearance. Dietz struck out four of the six batters he faced.
Aidan Zurn (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) had a no-decision for the Saints, going 7.1 innings.
Fossum was 6-for-6 with a pair of doubles and the game-winning hit for the Saints. The six hits tie Kyle Flagstad's program record for hits in a game. Wollenzien and Olson also had a pair of hits.
Up Next
The Saints (23-10) head to Mankato on Saturday for their last conference games of the regular season against Bethany Lutheran College, with the first game starting at 5 p.m. The regular season title will be on the line as the Vikings trail the Saints by a game in the standings.
