DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Scholastica baseball team hosted the Oles from St. Olaf in a conference doubleheader matchup this afternoon at Wade Stadium. The Oles pitching staff was able to shut down the Saints offense in game one, winning 4-0. In game two of the action, the Saints jumped out to an early lead, but a four-run seventh inning for St. Olaf proved to be the difference maker, as the Saints fell short by a score of 5-4.
Game One: St. Olaf: 4, CSS: 0
Jonathan Stoeckle (Fresno, CA/Clovis West HS) jumped out to a fast start on the mound for CSS, as the freshman racked up three strikeouts across the opening two innings, with the score tied at 0-0.
CSS had early opportunities to break the scoreless tie, with Luke Krull (Greenville, WI/Xavier HS) recording a base hit and a stolen base in the bottom of the third inning, but CSS would strand a runner and the game remained 0-0.
The Oles broke through in the top of the fourth inning, as two runs came across on an extra-base hit, claiming a 2-0 lead.
St. Scholastica would strand another runner in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth inning, as after Jack Tiemann (Bloomington, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) doubled, the Saints couldn't capitalize and the score sat at 2-0.
Jake Schelonka (Sartell, Minn./Sartell HS) and Kyle Oswald (Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi HS) both singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning, but despite the potential momentum shift, CSS struggled to give itself the boost it needed, as the Oles pitching staff escaped a jam with no harm done.
St. Olaf added two more runs in the top of the seventh inning, expanding the lead to 4-0, and CSS was held in check in its half of the seventh, falling in game one by a score of 4-0.
Game Two: St. Olaf 5, CSS: 4
The Saints offense wasted no time in game two to get things started offensively, as Krull led off the inning with a double and Schelonka walked, Damian Tamayo Vera (Miami, FL./Felix Varela Senior HS) would drive in a run on an RBI single and Tiemann would drive in a run on a sacrifice fly to give the Saints an early 2-0 lead.
Payton Jeffries (Vancouver, Wash./Union HS (Shasta College)) showcased his arsenal in the second inning on the mound, striking out the side to bring his total to four in the game through the opening two innings.
In the bottom of the third inning, Sam Shopbell (Prior Lake, MN/Prior Lake HS (Fayetteville CC)) led off the inning with a single, and after Schelonka was hit by a pitch, Oswald was able to drive in a run on an RBI single, pushing the lead to 3-0 in favor of CSS.
The Oles were able to respond quickly in the top of the fourth inning, driving in a run after a one-out triple, cutting into the Saints lead.
Jeffries continued to keep the Oles offense in check, as the game remained 3-1 in the middle stages of the game.
In the top of the seventh inning, St. Olaf was able to claim the lead, as four runners came across on six hits in the inning, with the Saints now trailing for the first time in the second game 4-3.
St. Olaf added a late run in the top of the eighth inning to expand its lead over CSS to 5-3.
Schelonka kicked off the bottom of the eighth inning with a double, and would later score to trim the deficit to just one run.
In the bottom of the ninth, Finley Spicer (Aberdeen, N.C./Union Pines HS (Limestone University)) reached base on an Oles error, and Ryan Garlick (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids HS (Iowa Central CC)) entered the game to pinch run for him. With two outs in the inning, in an attempt to give CSS a chance to get a runner into scoring position, the Saints were caught stealing to end the second game, with St. Olaf came away with a 5-4 victory.
Up Next
The Saints (9-12, 2-5 MIAC) will have a chance to rebound tomorrow, as they will host the Knights from Carleton at Wade Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
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