DAVENPORT, Fla. – The St. Scholastica baseball team took care of business today, winning both of its games in the Russmatt Invitational, defeating Thomas College by a score of 10-4, and Simpson College by a score of 8-3. 

Game One: CSS: 10, Thomas College: 3

The Saints got off to a fast start in the bottom of the first, as after Jake Schelonka (Sartell, Minn./Sartell HS) recorded a two-out single, Damian Tamayo Vera (Miami, FL./Felix Varela Senior HS) drove him in on an RBI double, taking an early 1-0 lead. 

CSS opened the bottom of the second inning with a trio of singles from Adam Braun (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS (Central Lakes CC)), Jack Tiemann (Bloomington, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), and Levi Stubbles (San Bruno, Calif./El Camino HS (Skyline College)). Braun would score in the inning on a passed ball, and later Kyle Oswald (Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi HS) would drive in Tiemann on a sacrifice fly, giving CSS a 3-0 lead after two innings of play. 

The Terriers scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning, cutting down the Saints lead to 3-2. 

In the top of the fifth inning, Thomas College was able to tie things up at 3-3, scoring a run on an RBI groundout, as the Saints looked to reclaim their lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. 

Schelonka recorded a one-out double to begin the bottom of the fifth for CSS, and would be driven in one batter later when Tamayo Vera recorded his second RBI double of the contest. After Brady Goebel (Albany, MN/Albany HS) singled, Braun was able to bring in Tamayo Vera on an RBI single, giving CSS a two-run lead heading into the sixth inning. 

Schelonka led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a triple, and he would score on the next batter on a balk, pushing across the sixth run for CSS, leading 6-3. 

Thomas College responded quickly in the top of the eighth inning, scoring a run on a solo home run, making the score 6-4. 

After Tiemann and Stubbles both got on base to lead off the bottom of the eighth, Ryan Garlick (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids HS (Iowa Central CC)) came up to the plate and drove in a run, followed by a pair of runners scoring for CSS on a Terrier error to give the Saints a 9-4 lead. The Saints would grab its 10th run of the contest later in the inning, when Schelonka hit an RBI double, to make the score 10-4. 

CSS was able to silence Thomas College in the top of the ninth inning, taking its first game of the day by a score of 10-4. 

Game Two: CSS: 8, Simpson College: 3

Matt Forrest (Oakdale, Minn./Hill-Murray HS) got off to a fast start to begin the top of the first inning, recording a pair of strikeouts to keep Simpson off the board. 

Forrest and the Saints defense was able to have consecutive 1-2-3 innings in the top of the second and third inning, as the game remained scoreless. 

After Stubbles singled to begin the bottom of the third inning, Oswald drove him in two batters later on an RBI single to give CSS its first lead of the game. 

After yet another 1-2-3 inning by Forrest, Stubbles drove in Goebel, who led off the inning with a walk, to expand the lead to 2-0. 

The Saints got a pair of runners on base to begin the bottom of the fifth inning, which led to a Finley Spicer (Aberdeen, N.C./Union Pines HS (Limestone University)) two-RBI double, which was later followed by an RBI single by Schelonka that drove in Spicer, pushing the Saints lead to 5-0. 

Simpson College picked up its first runs of the contest in the top of the seventh inning, scoring three runs in the inning, cutting its deficit to 5-3. 

In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Saints got the first three batters of the inning on base, as Nate Hammerback (Alexandria MN/Alexandria HS) and Goebel singled and Braun reached base via a Simpson error. With the bases loaded, Tiemann was then hit by a pitch, and a pair of sacrifice flies gave CSS an 8-3 lead. 

The Saints turned away the bats of the Storm in the top of the ninth inning, completing a doubleheader sweep, taking the second game by a score of 8-3. 

Up Next

The Saints (4-5, 0-0) will conclude the Russmatt Invitational tomorrow, where they will take on Central College in a pair of contests. First pitch is scheduled for 2:45 P.M. EST

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