Notables
-Game two tie was first since 2005
-CSS held La Crosse to just two hits in game one
-First games of the season for La Crosse
MINNEAPOLIS (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team blanked the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in game one and then rallied to force a tie in game two before it was called due to time limit in a doubleheader on Monday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Game 1: CSS 7, UWL 0
The Saints scored six runs in the first two innings and held the Eagles off the scoreboard to take game one 7-0.
Lane Girtz (Pierz, Minn./Pierz Healy HS) and
Joey Zwak (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) each walked to lead off. Then
Eric Pearson (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) laid down a bunt that was misplayed, which allowed Girtz to score. Two batters later,
Aaron Weber (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Pierz HS) laid down a squeeze bunt, which allowed Zwak to score and make it 2-0.
Zach Harding (Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing HS) had RBI groundout to score Pearson and to make it 3-0.
After the Eagles went down in order in the bottom frame, CSS added three more in the second. Zwak had a RBI single to bring in
Mitchell Novak (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS). Pearson followed with a two-run home run to left to make it 6-0.
On the mound,
Matt Tautges (Fort Ripley, Minn./Pierz HS) had just two runners get into scoring position through five innings. Girtz added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to plate
Cole Tyman (Elk Mound, Wis./Elk Mound HS) and make it 7-0.
Juan Alcoverde (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuarita HS) pitched the final two innings scoreless as the Saints prevailed 7-0.
Tautges struck out four and allowed only two hits to earn the win in game one. Zwak was 2-for-3 with two runs scored to lead the offense.
Game 2: CSS 6, UWL 6 (F/6)
The Eagles scored five runs in the top of the first, but the Saints would crawl back in and ultimately tie the game at 6-6 in the fourth. Neither team scored the rest of the way and the game ended in a 6-6 tie after six innings due to time limit.
La Crosse had three extra-base hits in the top of the first to open up a 5-0 lead before the Saints had their first at-bats.
Girtz led off the bottom of the first with a single and Zwak stepped to the plate and hit a two-run home run into the second deck of U.S. Bank to make it 5-2.
After the Eagles added a run in the second, the Saints loaded the bases with one out in the third.
Bryce Huffman (Proctor, Minn./Proctor HS) was then hit by a pitch to force in a run. Weber followed with a sacrifice fly and Harding with a RBI single to cut the La Crosse lead to 6-5.
CSS tied the game in the fourth inning when
Kam Larson (Chaska, Minn./Chaska HS) scored on a wild pitch. The Eagles stranded runners in scoring position in the top of the sixth as the score remained 6-6. There would be just 10 minutes remaining of rental use as the Saints came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth. Novak hit a one-out double with six minutes remaining on the clock. After a base on balls and a pitching change, less than two minutes remained. The Saints then would fly out on the next two pitches to end the game at 6-6.
Zwak and Gertz each had two hits and scored twice. Zwak also drove in two runs. CSS used four pitchers with
Jack Perala (Virginia, Minn./Virginia HS),
T.J. Martin (Minneapolis, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels) and
Dallas Miller (Big Lake, Minn./Big Lake HS) not allowing an earned run over the final 5.1 innings.
Up Next
The Saints (2-1-1) will now travel down to Florida for Spring Break and once again take part in the RussMatt Invitational. CSS will open with Fontbonne University (Mo.) on Saturday in Auburndale.
