Notables
-Schelonka was 7-for-8 on the day with six runs scored
-Harding hits first collegiate home run in game two
-Mergen strikes out a career-high nine in game two
-Nine different Saints collect RBIs on the day
AUBURNDALE, Fla. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team swept a pair of seven-inning games on Thursday against Knox College (Ill.) at the RussMatt Invitational to extend its winning streak to four games.
Game 1: CSS 9, Knox 7
The Saints plated five runs in the first inning and held off the Prairie Fire (0-6) the rest of the way to win game one 9-7.
After Knox plated a run in the top of the first, the Saints quickly tied the game when
Mitchell Novak (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) scored all the way from first base following a Knox error.
Jack Harris (San Francisco, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep (Skyline CC)) then stepped in the box and hit his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot to make it 3-1.
Jake Schelonka (Sartell, Minn./Sartell HS) later scored on a
Cody Venske (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) RBI single and
Mitchell Olson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) scored on a
Miles Liebren (Saint Paul, Minn./Saint Paul Central HS) single as the Saints led 5-1 after one inning.
The Prairie Fire responded with three runs in the second to cut the Saints margin to 5-4. However, Schelonka would hit a solo home run in the bottom half to make it 6-4.
It stayed 6-4 until the fourth inning when Harris came in to score on an Olson RBI single. That was followed by back-to-back sacrifice flies by Venske and
Bryce Huffman (Proctor, Minn./Proctor HS) to extend the lead to 9-4.
Knox, however, would not go away, scoring three runs in the fifth to make it a two-run game at 9-7. However, first year pitcher
Matt Forrest (Oakdale, Minn./Hill-Murray HS) closed the door in the final two innings to earn his first collegiate save in a 9-7 St. Scholastica victory.
Eric Martin (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd HS (Central Lakes)) struck out seven over 4.2 to earn his first win as a Saint. Schelonka was 3-for-4 with three runs scored to lead the 12-hit attack. Harris added a pair of hits, scored twice and drive in two.
Game 2: CSS 13, Knox 1
Senior pitcher
Grant Mergen (Maple Lake, Minn./Maple Lake HS) struck out a career-high nine and allowed just two hits without allowing an earned run over five innings as the Saints cruised to a 13-1 win in game two.
CSS scored three runs in the first as Novak scored on a wild pitch,
Jack Tiemann (Bloomington, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) scored on a Harris sacrifice fly and Schelonka hit his second home of the day to make it 3-0.
Zach Harding (Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing HS) hit his first collegiate home run in the second inning to make it 4-0.
Huffman had an RBI in the third inning as part of two more runs by the Saints. Olson added an RBI in the fifth to make it 7-1. Tiemann had an RBI in the sixth inning and later scored by stealing home as the Saints extended their lead to 11-1. CSS added two more runs in the seventh to make the final 13-1.
Schelonka was 4-for-4 in game two with three runs scored. Tiemann drive in two and also scored three times.
Joe Talmage (International Falls, Minn./Falls HS) pitched two hitless innings of relief.
Up Next
The Saints (5-5) will face William Paterson University (N.J.) tomorrow (Friday) for one, 9-inning game. Action is slated to begin at 9 a.m. (ET) back in Auburndale.
