Notables

-Taival strikes out five in game one

-Oswald, Shopbell both record multiple hits in game two

-Schelonka logs 2 RBI

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The College of St. Scholastica baseball team fell today in both games of a doubleheader against the Bethel Royals. The Saints were held scoreless in game one, falling by a score of 4-0, and in game two, although the Saints brought across six runs, were also defeated, with the Royals coming away with a 9-6 victory over CSS.

Game One: BET: 4, CSS: 0

Grant Taival (Lake Elmo, Minn./Mahtomedi HS) got the start for the Saints in game one on the day and picked up two early strikeouts in the bottom of the first inning, as the score sat at 0-0 after one. 

The Royals drew first blood in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single to take a 1-0 lead over the Saints. 

Jack Harris (San Francisco, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep (Skyline CC)) and Ryan Garlick (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids HS (Iowa Central CC)) each drew walks in the top of the third inning, but it would lead to no change in the score, with the Royals still clinging to a one-run lead. 

Bethel added two more runs to its total in the bottom of the third inning on three hits in the inning, extending its lead to 3-0. 

The Saints bats went cold in the middle innings of game one, as the Royals added one more run in bottom of the sixth inning on a solo home run, and the Saints were unable to muster anything in the top of the seventh, falling in game one by a score of 4-0. 

Game Two: BET: 9, CSS: 6

Bethel once again scored first in the second game, scoring five runs in the bottom of the second inning, highlighted by a three-run home run, to go up 5-0 early in game number two. 

The Saints got two runners in scoring position in the top of the fourth inning when Jake Schelonka (Sartell, Minn./Sartell HS) led off the inning with a walk and Sam Shopbell (Prior Lake, MN/Prior Lake HS (Fayetteville CC)) picked up a single and then advanced on a passed ball. Alex Haapajoki (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd HS (Central Lakes)) would drive in Schelonka on an RBI single, while Mason Argir (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd HS (Central Lakes College)) would drive in Shopbell on a sacrifice fly. The Saints would add one more run in the inning, when Finley Spicer (Aberdeen, N.C./Union Pines HS (Limestone University)) scored on an RBI single from Mitchell Novak (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS), making the score 5-3. 

Back-to-back base hits from Kyle Oswald (Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi HS) and Adam Braun (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS (Central Lakes CC)) put two runners in scoring position to begin the top of the fifth inning for CSS. Both runners would score in the inning on sacrifice flies coming from Schelonka and Cody Horon (Union Grove, Wis./Union Grove HS (Northern State University)), tying the game at 5-5. 

Bethel responded with a three-run bottom of the fifth inning to reclaim the lead at 8-5. 

The Saints added one more run to its total in the top of the seventh on Schelonka's tenth home run of the season, but the Royals would hold on late in this one, taking game two by a score of 9-6. 

Up Next

The Saints (20-16, 7-11) will be back in action on Friday, where they will take on Saint Mary's University in a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 P.M.