Notables:
-CSS snaps a four-game losing streak in the UMAC Tournament
-The seven hits the fewest this season in a CSS win
-Olson has reached base in 16 straight games
-Martin and Perala combine for 14 strikeouts
ST. PAUL (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team scored three runs in the first inning and that held up as the second-seeded Saints defeated third-seeded Bethany Lutheran College 3-2 Thursday night to open the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament.
How It Happened
After the Vikings (15-14) went down in order to begin the game, the Saints got a one-out single from
Mitchell Novak (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) and
Bryce Huffman (Proctor, Minn./Proctor HS) was hit-by-pitch to put two runners on for
Mitchell Olson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS). Olson proceeded to double in Novak on the eighth pitch of the at-bat to make it 1-0.
Jake Schelonka (Sartell, Minn./Sartell HS) followed with a RBI groundout and
Jack Tiemann (Bloomington, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) hit a two-out single to make it 3-0 CSS after one inning.
St. Scholastica starter
T.J. Martin (Minneapolis, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels) cruised through the first three innings, but ran into trouble in the fourth as Bethany scored on a RBI single. The Vikings were then looking for a second run off another single, but the runner was cut down at the plate to keep the score 3-1.
Martin was replaced by
Jack Perala (Virginia, Minn./Virginia HS) with two outs in the seventh and Perala got out of a jam with two Vikings in scoring position by getting a strikeout to end the threat.
Bethany cut the margin to 3-2 with a solo home run in the eighth. However, Perala struck out the other three batters he faced in the inning. The Vikings then put the tying run in scoring position with no outs in the ninth, but a strikeout, ground out and strikeout ended the game in the Saints' favor.
Pitching
Martin struck out eight in 6.2 innings to earn the win. Perala struck out six in 2.1 innings to earn his first collegiate save.
Tournament Delayed
Weather delayed the start of the tournament allowing just for two games on Thursday. In the first game, the University of Wisconsin-Superior eliminated Crown College 4-1 and will face top-seeded University of Northwestern (Minn.) to begin play on Friday at 1 p.m.
Up Next:
The Saints (19-7) will face the winner of UW-Superior/Northwestern at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Friday).
