DAVENPORT, Fla. – The St. Scholastica baseball team opened its trip to Florida this afternoon, taking on the Rams from Suffolk University in the Russmatt Invitational. The Saints came up short in the first game of the day, falling 9-2, and couldn't complete the comeback in the second game, as the Rams took the second game by a score of 5-3. 

Game One: SFU: 9, CSS: 2

After the Saints were retired in order in the top of the first inning, the Rams broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the first, scoring five runs on four hits to take a 5-0 lead over CSS. 

Finley Spicer (Aberdeen, N.C./Union Pines HS (Limestone University)) and Sam Shopbell (Prior Lake, MN/Prior Lake HS (Fayetteville CC)) both recorded base hits in the top of the second, with Spicer recording a one-out single and Shopbell logging a double, but the Saints could not capitalize, stranding both runners with the game remaining at 5-0. 

The Saints were held in check over the next pair of innings, despite base knocks from Adam Braun (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS (Central Lakes CC)) and Spicer, but the Rams still held a commanding 5-0 lead over CSS. 

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Suffolk added to its total, tallying four runs on three hits, including an error, to expand its lead to 9-0 after four innings of play. 

CSS was retired in the fifth and sixth innings with the Rams still leading 9-0. Spicer led off the top of the seventh inning with a double and two batters later, Jack Tiemann (Bloomington, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) launched a two-run home run to get the Saints on the board. However, the Rams were able to set down the Saints to close out the inning, with the final score being 9-2. 

Game Two: SFU: 5, CSS: 3

Matt Forrest (Oakdale, Minn./Hill-Murray HS) was able to get off to a fast start in the opening innings of the second contest, striking out a batter across two scoreless innings, as the game remained scoreless after two innings of play. 

The Rams took advantage of a leadoff double in the top of the third inning to bring a runner in on a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead. 

After being retired in order in the third and fourth innings, the Saints got momentum with a one-out double by Luke Krull (Greenville, WI/Xavier HS), followed by an RBI single by Jake Schelonka (Sartell, Minn./Sartell HS), tying things up at 1-1. 

Suffolk took its lead back in a big way in the top of the sixth inning, as four runs came across, all on a grand slam, to reclaim its lead to 5-1. 

Spicer and Shopbell both reached base on walks to begin the sixth inning, and the Saints were able to bring a runner across on a Tiemann RBI single, trimming its deficit to 5-2. Later in the inning, Kyle Oswald (Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi HS) would be able to drive in a run, with the Saints trailing 5-3. 

CSS was held in check in its half of the seventh inning, as the Rams came away winners of both games of today's doubleheader, capturing the second game by a score of 5-3. 

Up Next

The Saints (1-3, 0-0) will continue the Russmatt Invitational tomorrow morning, as they will take on Concordia University Chicago. First pitch is scheduled for 9:00 A.M. EST