Notables
-Games originally scheduled to be played in Duluth
-Liebren drives in three RBI in game one
-Perala picks up win and records seven strikeouts in game one
-Miller strikes out nine in game two
ST. PAUL (
csssaints.com) - The St. Scholastica baseball team split a road doubleheader with Macalester College on Wednesday. The bats were certainly alive in game one as the Saints scored four runs in the first inning, then tallied three more in the third inning. A late game push from the Scots threatened the Saints' lead, but ultimately fell short, giving the Saints the 9-8 victory. In game two, the Saints ran into an outstanding pitching performance from the Scots, only being able to muster one run in a 3-1 defeat, splitting the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) doubleheader.
Game 1: CSS 9, MAC 8
From the first inning of the afternoon, the Saints' bats were locked in.
Luke Schemenauer (Chippewa Falls, Wis./Chippewa Falls HS) hit a one-out single to start the Saints off. The Saints forced three consecutive walks, which scored Schemenauer on the third walk, giving the Saints an early 1-0 lead. The Saints added another run on a wild pitch and
Miles Liebren (Saint Paul, Minn./Saint Paul Central HS) drove in two RBI on a single to right field, giving the Saints a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the third inning, the Saints added to its lead.
Mitchell Olson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) walked and scored on an RBI double by
Jake Schelonka (Sartell, Minn./Sartell HS). Schelonka scored on an RBI single by
Jack Tiemann (Bloomington, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), making the Saints; lead 6-0. With one out in the inning, Liebren drove in Tiemann on a sacrifice fly, giving Liebren his third RBI of the day and making the game 7-0.
The Saints added yet another run in the bottom of the fourth inning via an RBI single by Schelonka, scoring
Mitchell Novak (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS), who got on base on an error earlier in the inning, making CSS' lead 8-0.
Macalester (10-19, 6-10 MIAC) cracked the scoreboard in the fifth inning, adding three runs and cutting into CSS lead, 8-3.
Novak helped CSS add another run, singling to center with
Kam Larson (Chaska, Minn./Chaska HS) scoring on the base hit, making the score 9-3.
Jack Perala (Virginia, Minn./Virginia HS) struck out his final batter he faced in the afternoon, adding his total to seven in the game. The junior pitched six quality innings, keeping CSS in front of the Scots.
Macalester gave a late push in the final inning of the first game, adding five runs on five hits, threatening the Saints lead, but ultimately fell short, giving CSS the win in game one, by a score of 9-8.
Grant Mergen (Maple Lake, Minn./Maple Lake HS) picked up the save as he recorded the final two outs of the game.
Game 2: MAC 3, CSS 1
Dallas Miller (Monticello, Minn./Big Lake HS) was tasked with starting game two and he started the game off hot, striking out two of the Scots' first three batters.
Macalester added the first runs of game two, scoring two runs on a home run, making the game 2-0 through the fourth inning.
Macalester added another run in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI single, making the Scots lead 3-0.
The Saints were unable to string together base hits, being held to only three hits through eight innings.
Schelonka singled in the bottom of the ninth inning, attempting to kickstart the Saints offense to chip into the Scots' lead.
Zach Harding (Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing HS) pinch-hit and singled to left.
Cody Venske (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) put the Saints on the board, scoring Schelonka on an RBI single. Unfortunately, that was all the Saints were able to put on the board as they fell in game two, splitting the doubleheader with Macalester.
Miller struck out nine over eight innings for the Saints.
Up Next
The Saints (10-14, 5-7 MIAC) will be back in action Friday, where they will travel to Minneapolis to take on Augsburg University. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
