DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Scholastica baseball team held its first home games of the season this afternoon, hosting the Royals from Bethel at Wade Stadium. The Saints were able to hold off a late Royals comeback to take game one by a score of 6-5, but the Royals used a five-run seventh inning in the second game to come away with a 7-3.
Game One: CSS: 6, BET: 5
Payton Jeffries (Vancouver, Wash./Union HS (Shasta College)) got off to a quick start to the contest in game one, picking up a strikeout en route to a 1-2-3 inning.
After Kyle Oswald (Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi HS) led off the bottom of the first inning with a single, Jake Schelonka (Sartell, Minn./Sartell HS) launched a two-run home run to the deepest part of the ballpark, giving CSS an early 2-0 lead.
Bethel scored its first run of the contest in the top of the second inning on an RBI single, cutting the Saints lead in half.
In the bottom of the third inning with two outs, Schelonka put his second longball of the contest over the center field fence to give CSS its two-run lead back.
Jeffries continued his success in the top of the fifth inning, recording three strikeouts in the inning, as the Saints still held a 3-1 lead.
After the Saints loaded the bases to begin the bottom of the sixth inning, a run would score on a wild pitch, followed by a two-RBI single up the middle by Adam Braun (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS (Central Lakes CC)) gave CSS a five-run cushion.
The Royals attempted a late comeback in the top of the seventh inning, scoring four runs in the inning, as Zack Hlinsky (Albertville, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS) came in to record his first save of the season, giving CSS a 6-5 lead in game one of the doubleheader.
Game Two: BET: 7, CSS: 3
Both Bethel and St. Scholastica offenses were held in check in the early innings of the second game, with the Saints getting its only hit from Oswald through the early stages, but Matt Forrest (Oakdale, Minn./Hill-Murray HS) went toe-to-toe with the Royals offense, allowing just two hits through the first four innings of play.
Forrest escaped a jam in the top of the sixth inning, as the Royals stranded a pair of runners on base, with Forrest securing a quality start pitching six scoreless innings in the contest.
The offense of the Royals broke the scoreless tie in the top of the seventh inning, logging five walks in the inning to go along with three hits, to score five runs and give itself a 5-0 lead over CSS.
The Saints got a pair of runners on in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Brady Goebel (Albany, MN/Albany HS) singled and Levi Stubbles (San Bruno, Calif./El Camino HS (Skyline College)) drew a walk, but the Saints would be unable to capitalize, still trailing 5-0.
Bethel tacked on another run in the top of the eighth inning on a Saints error, expanding its lead to 6-0 over CSS.
Schelonka was able to get on base with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, and would later score on an RBI single by Finley Spicer (Aberdeen, N.C./Union Pines HS (Limestone University)), giving the Saints its first run of the game.
St. Scholastica would add two more runs in the inning on a Royals error, cutting the deficit to 6-3.
Bethel was able to bring in another run in the top of the ninth inning on a bases loaded walk, giving itself a much needed insurance run to lead 7-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Oswald and Schelonka both reached base to give CSS a chance to make a comeback, but the Royals were able to shut down the CSS offense, taking the second game by a score of 7-3.
Up Next
The Saints (7-7, 1-1) will be back in action next Tuesday, April 1, where they will travel to St. Peter to take on the Gusties from Gustavus Adolphus College. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
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