Notables
-Braun & Schelonka both record RBI in game one
-Shopbell goes 2-2 in game two
-Jeffries earns second win of season in three innings of relief
DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Scholastica baseball team split a doubleheader this afternoon against the Gusties from Gustavus Adolphus College. The Gusties were able to come away with the victory in game one, headlined with multiple runs in the late innings, but the Saints were able to secure a victory in game two, with a big three-run seventh inning, to defeat Gustavus in game two.
Game One: GUS: 5, CSS: 2
Grant Taival (Lake Elmo, Minn./Mahtomedi HS) picked up two early strikeouts in the first inning, setting down two of the first batters he faced in the top of the first inning.
Taival retired the Gusties in order once again in the second inning, with the score remaining at 0-0 through two innings of play.
Gustavus striked first in the top of the third inning, scoring one run on two hits, to take a 1-0 lead over CSS.
Adam Braun (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS (Central Lakes CC)) tied the game up at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, driving in a run on an RBI single, to tie the game at 1-1.
In the top of the fifth inning, a solo home run would put the Gusties in front by a run, leading 2-1. After the Saints were retired in order, the Gusties brought in two more runners in the top of the sixth, extending its lead to 4-1 over St. Scholastica.
After Mitchell Novak (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) tripled to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning, Jake Schelonka (Sartell, Minn./Sartell HS) singled to bring him in and cut the Saints' deficit to 4-2.
Gustavus would be able to add another run in the top of the seventh inning, and although the Saints tried to cut into the Gusties lead, it would not be enough, with Gustavus coming away with a 5-2 victory over CSS in game one.
Game Two: CSS: 8, GUS: 6
Gustavus got the first runs on the board in the second inning of the second game, with two runs scoring, one on a home run and another on an RBI single, to take a 2-0 lead over the Saints.
CSS got its first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning to cut the Gusties lead in half, trailing 2-1.
Alex Haapajoki (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd HS (Central Lakes)) led off the bottom of the third inning with a single, followed by bunt singles by Mason Argir (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd HS (Central Lakes College)) and Mitchell Novak (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) to load the bases with no outs. Schelonka singled on the next at-bat that drove in two and put CSS in front 3-2. The Saints brought in two more runs in the inning, both scoring on wild pitches, to extend its lead to 5-2 after three innings.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Gusties got two runs in the inning on three hits, but the Saints still held a 5-4 lead.
Gustavus was able to tie the game in the top of the sixth inning, with a run scoring on an RBI groundout.
Jumping to the late innings of the game, Schelonka led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a single and after Braun was hit by a pitch and had to be removed from the game, Finley Spicer (Aberdeen, N.C./Union Pines HS (Limestone University)) drove in Schelonka and Luke Schemenauer (Chippewa Falls, Wis./Chippewa Falls HS), who pinch-ran for Braun, to make the score 7-5. One batter later, Sam Shopbell (Prior Lake, MN/Prior Lake HS (Fayetteville CC)) drove him in on an RBI single to extend the lead to 8-5.
The Gusties added a late run in the top of the ninth, but the Saints were able to shut down the Gusties, with Payton Jeffries (Vancouver, Wash./Union HS (Shasta College)) ending the game on a strikeout, as the Saints won game two by a score of 8-6.
Up Next
The Saints (14-9, 4-6) will be back in action on Monday, where they will host Northland for just one game at 5:00 P.M. at Wade Stadium.
