NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The College of St. Scholastica baseball team split a high-scoring Sunday doubleheader at St. Olaf after the series was postponed from Saturday due to weather. The Saints dropped game one before outlasting the Oles in a back-and-forth offensive battle in game two. St. Scholastica is now 13-11 overall and 3-5 in MIAC play.
St. Olaf took the opener 7-4, using a pair of multi-run innings to build a lead the Saints couldn't fully recover from. St. Scholastica broke through in the fifth inning, scoring four runs on home runs from Tommy Crupi (Gilbert, AZ/San Tan Charter) and Damian Tamayo-Vera, but the Oles answered with two runs in the bottom half to regain control. The Saints were limited to six hits in the game, with Max Israel (Cottage Grove, Minn./Hill-Murray HS) collecting two. Tamayo-Vera drove in two runs, while Crupi added a two-run homer.
Game two turned into one of the Saints' most explosive performances of the season, as they held off St. Olaf for a 15-14 win. St. Scholastica jumped out early with four runs in the first inning, highlighted by back-to-back home runs from Luke Krull (Greenville, WI/Xavier HS) and Tamayo-Vera. The Saints continued to apply pressure throughout, scoring in six different innings and finishing with 17 hits.
Tamayo-Vera continued his standout season at the plate, launching five home runs across the day's three games, including a four-homer performance in the doubleheader. He went 5-for-6 with three home runs and seven RBIs in game two alone, powering the Saints' offense in a game that featured multiple lead changes. Krull added three hits and two RBIs, while Israel contributed three hits and two RBIs. Tyler Tiedeman (Las Vegas, NV/Faith Lutheran HS) also chipped in with a triple and an RBI.
Despite building a 12-5 lead midway through the game, the Saints had to withstand a six-run fifth inning from the Oles that tightened the contest. St. Scholastica responded with key runs in the sixth and ninth innings, and Ethan Zimmerman (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS) closed the door to secure the win.
Following the doubleheader, the Saints also completed their previously suspended game against Carleton, which resumed in the ninth inning at St. Olaf. Carleton held on for a 9-4 win in that contest. St. Scholastica totaled 16 hits in the game, including home runs from Tamayo-Vera, Finley Spicer (Aberdeen, N.C./Union Pines HS (Limestone University)), and Max Israel (Cottage Grove, Minn./Hill-Murray HS), but an early deficit proved too much to overcome.
The Saints will look to build on their offensive momentum as MIAC play with their home opener against Augsburg on Wednesday afternoon at Wade Stadium.
