Notables
-Schemenauer records three hits in game two
-Martin throws seven shutout innings in game two
-Kemming picks up his third save of the season
-Saints held to three hits in game one
ST. PAUL (
csssaints.com) - The St. Scholastica baseball team closed out its regular season late Saturday night with a doubleheader split against Hamline University at CHS Field. The Saints faced a great pitching performance from Hamline in game one, losing 9-0. In game two however, the Saints were able to get an early lead and keep the Pipers off the basepaths and secure a win to end the regular season by a score of 3-1.
Game 1: Hamline 9, CSS 0
Game one saw the Saints struggle early to string together key hits, while Hamline found the scoreboard early. Hamline (13-24, 6-14 MIAC) scored its first run of the ballgame in the bottom of the first inning, scoring on a sacrifice fly that made it 1-0.
The Pipers struck again in its half of the second inning, making the game 2-0 early in favor of the Pipers.
CSS continued to struggle offensively in the contest, tallying just two hits between the third through fifth inning.
Hamline broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth inning, tallying six runs on seven hits to make the score 8-0.
The Pipers tallied on yet another run in the bottom of the sixth inning to add on to its big lead, 9-0.
CSS failed to get anything going in the top of the seventh inning and fell in game one of the doubleheader by a score of 9-0.
Game 2: CSS 3, Hamline 1
The Saints were looking to rebound from its game one loss, and finish the regular season on a high note.
The Saints scored their first run of the second game of the night in the top of the third inning.
Matt Tautges (Fort Ripley, Minn./Pierz HS) walked to open the inning and was driven in on an RBI single by
Luke Schemenauer (Chippewa Falls, Wis./Chippewa Falls HS) to give the Saints an early 1-0 lead.
T.J. Martin (Minneapolis, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels) was given the bump to start game two and looked sharp early, striking out two Pipers in the bottom of the third inning to shut down any chance of a rally for Hamline,
CSS ran with the momentum they gained in the previous inning into the fourth inning as
Jack Harris (San Francisco, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep (Skyline CC)) singled to lead off the inning. With two outs in the inning,
Mitchell Novak (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) drove in Harris on an RBI single to right that gave the Saints a 2-0 lead.
Martin again handled the Pipers with ease in the bottom of the fifth inning, striking out two more Hamline batters to shut down the Pipers yet again. Martin recorded seven strikeouts in the second game and looked completely dominant through five innings.
In the top of the seventh inning,
Matt Tautges (Fort Ripley, Minn./Pierz HS) singled to put a Saints batter on the bases early. In a clutch situation with two outs in the inning,
Jake Schelonka (Sartell, Minn./Sartell HS) tripled to right field, scoring Tautges, and giving the Saints a 3-0 lead heading into the final stretches of the game.
The Saints gave the ball to
Wes Kemming (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) to earn a two-inning save in this contest. Hamline added a run in the bottom of the ninth to make it a two-run game, but Kemming was able to retire the Pipers and secure the win for the Saints in the second game of the doubleheader by a score of 3-1.
MIAC Postseason Hopes
The Saints wrap up the regular season with a 15-17 overall record and 10-10 in their first season in the MIAC. Conference make-up doubleheaders are scheduled to take place on Sunday and two of those doubleheaders St. Scholastica will be watching very closely.
The Saints can only clinch the fourth-and-final MIAC Playoff spot with a loss from both Concordia College-Moorhead and Saint Mary's University. Concordia is scheduled to face Gustavus Adolphus College and Saint Mary's is scheduled to face Carleton College.
Stay tuned.
