Duluth, MN - The Saints baseball team took on the Lumberjacks of Northland College on Wednesday, April 16 for a double header non-conference matchup. The Saints put up two dominant performances, sweeping the Lumberjacks at home.
Game One: CSS 8, Northland College 2
The Saints wasted no time getting into action this game. A single from Jack Tiemann (Bloomington, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) allowed Finley Spicer (Aberdeen, N.C./Union Pines HS (Limestone University)) to put the first on the board. After a big triple to right center from Sam Shopbell (Prior Lake, MN/Prior Lake HS (Fayetteville CC)), Tiemann eased his way to home plate. To wrap up the first inning, Ryan Garlick (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids HS (Iowa Central CC)) singled to shortstop, sending Shopbell home for an early 3-0 lead.
The Lumberjacks would also score a few early runs, however, scoring two runs off a single in the top of the second to cut the deficit to 3-2.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, bases were loaded with two outs. However, nothing else came of it, stranding the runners and the opportunity diminished.
The Saints went on to fight back in the fifth inning. Back to back triples from Jake Schelonka (Sartell, Minn./Sartell HS) and Finley Spicer (Aberdeen, N.C./Union Pines HS (Limestone University)) would contribute two more to their tally.
Tiemann and Garlick each added one more to the board after a single and a walk, totalling a 7-2 lead. Adam Braun (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS (Central Lakes CC)) added the final run to the board right after, advancing home on a fielder's choice for a final score of 8-2.
Game Two: CSS 13, Northland College 3
In an almost routine fashion, the Saints once again wasted no time, scoring three more runs in just the first inning.
Damian Tamayo Vera (Miami, FL./Felix Varela Senior HS), Shopbell, and Braun all contributed to the 3-0 lead straight away.
In the bottom of the second, Schelonka launched a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing freshman Max Israel (Cottage Grove, Minn./Hill-Murray HS) to score his first collegiate run for a 4-0 lead.
Braun scored his second run of the game from a wild pitch in the third inning. Shopbell would match that in the next inning thanks to a sacrifice fly from Garlick for a 6-0 lead.
The Saints went on to score a seven run inning to go in the books. It started off with Schelonka scoring off a walk for a 7-0 lead.
With a bit of luck, the next three runs all came by the hitter being hit by a pitch. Kellan Graning (Becker, Minn./Becker HS), Mason Argir (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd HS (Central Lakes College)), and Garlick were the ones to score, extending their lead to 10-0.
Beau Plaisance (New Prague, Minn./New Prague HS) then singled to right field, allowing Nico Gallegos (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake HS) and Ethan Raye (Superior, Wis./Superior HS) to score, extending once again to 12-0. To cap it off, Gus Swenson (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) singled through the middle to send Kooper Perry (Sioux Falls, SD/Sioux Falls Lincoln High School) home for their final run.
The Lumberjacks scored three runs in the seventh and final inning, but not in time. The Saints completed the second game with a dominant 13-3 victory, sweeping the Lumberjacks.
Up Next - The Saints (13-14, 4-7) look ahead to their next game tomorrow, April 19 against the Cobbers of Concordia College (MN). First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Moorhead, MN.
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