DAVENPORT, Fla. – The College of St. Scholastica Baseball team earned a doubleheader sweep over Penn State Altoona on Sunday, winning 9–3 in the opener before taking game two 13–5. The sweep marks the Saints' second of the season and improves their record to 5-3 overall.
St. Scholastica used strong pitching in game one and an early offensive surge in game two to secure the pair of wins.
GAME ONE
In the opener, the Saints jumped in front early and backed a strong outing from starting pitcher Zack Hlinsky (Albertville, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS). Hlinsky worked seven innings, striking out 10 while allowing just three hits and one run to control the game from the mound.
The Saints broke through in the third inning after Markus Isaiah (Centralia, IL/Centralia HS) and Luke Krull (Greenville, WI/Xavier HS) opened the frame with singles before executing a double steal. Damian Tamayo Vera (Miami, FL./Felix Varela Senior HS) followed with a single to center field to drive in both runners and give St. Scholastica an early lead.
Krull continued to apply pressure on the bases throughout the afternoon, stealing three bases in the contest as the Saints finished with six stolen bases.
St. Scholastica added key insurance runs in the sixth inning when Isaiah and Krull again reached base ahead of Tamayo Vera, who delivered a ground-rule double to score Isaiah. Finley Spicer (Aberdeen, N.C./Union Pines HS (Limestone University)) and Ben Schefers (Cologne, MN/Central HS) each followed with sacrifice flies to extend the lead.
Penn State Altoona scored single runs in the third, sixth, and seventh innings, but the Saints remained in control. Nico Gallegos (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake HS) closed out the game with two innings of relief, striking out three.
GAME TWO
In game two, St. Scholastica built an early lead with a dominant offensive start, scoring 11 runs across the first two innings on the way to a 13–5 victory.
Markus Isaiah (Centralia, IL/Centralia HS) helped spark the opening rally with a single and stolen base before scoring on an RBI single from Tamayo Vera. Finley Spicer (Aberdeen, N.C./Union Pines HS (Limestone University)) followed with a triple, and Tommy Crupi (Gilbert, AZ/San Tan Charter) added an RBI single as the Saints plated four runs in the first inning.
The Saints broke the game open in the second inning with seven runs, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Owen Maslowski (Stillwater, MN/Stillwater Area HS) and an RBI single from Caden Hall (West Union, WV/Gilmer County High School).
Spicer led the offensive effort in game two with four hits, including a triple, and drove in two runs. Maslowski added two RBIs, while Tamayo Vera scored twice and recorded an RBI.
Jack Holley (San Gabriel, CA/South Pasadena HS) started on the mound for the Saints and struck out four in two innings. Kellan Graning (Becker, Minn./Becker HS) earned the win in relief, striking out three in his inning of work. Blake Bullis (Inver Grove Heights, MN/Cretin-Derham Hall HS) added a scoreless inning with three strikeouts, while Nathan Nelson (Mora, MN/Mora HS), Patrick McManus (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South HS), and Luke Kamon (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) each contributed scoreless relief as the Saints bullpen combined to limit the Lions' offense.
Penn State Altoona attempted to cut into the deficit with a two-run fifth inning, but St. Scholastica maintained control the rest of the way.
The Saints will continue their spring break schedule on Tuesday, March 10 when they face Gwynedd Mercy at 5 p.m. CT.
