SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus baseball team split a MIAC doubleheader with St. Thomas on Wednesday at the Gustie Baseball Field. The Gusties claimed game one 3-1, but lost the nightcap 5-4, snapping their 11-game winning streak. The Gusties move to 15-2 overall and 10-2 in the MIAC, while the Tommies are 15-5 overall and 10-2 in the league.
Gustavus 3, St. Thomas 1 | BOX SCORE
The first three innings went scoreless before the Gusties took a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Cole Pengilly (Sr., Le Sueur) led off with a walk, went to second on an error, stole third, and scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Dalton Thelen (Jr., Cold Spring).
The Gusties increased their lead to 3-0 in the fifth with a two-out rally. Bryce Novak (So., Cleveland) reached on an error, Pengilly singled up the middle, and Ethan Mocchi (Sr., Champlin) walked to load the bases. Nick Azar (Jr., Edina) followed with a seeing-eye single up the middle to score Novak and Pengilly.
Weston Lombard (Sr., Stillwater) pitched five scoreless innings before giving up one run in the sixth after a walk and RBI double. Lombard struck out the last batter he faced for the third out, finishing the game with nine strikeouts. He allowed one run on four hits, improving to 4-0 on the season.
Damon Rademacher (Sr., Princeton) pitched a three-up-three-down seventh to earn the save. Azar led at the plate, batting 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Gustavus 4, St. Thomas 5 | BOX SCORE
St. Thomas jumped out to a three-run lead in the first frame on just two hits and a pair of walks. After a scoreless second, the Gusties scored two runs in the third. Novak singled through the left side and Pengilly followed with a single up the middle, advancing Novak to third while Pengilly went to second on the throw. Mocchi then hit a slap single through the right side to score both runners.
Thelen led off the fourth with a home run to tie the game – his second of the season. But after a scoreless fifth, the Tommies regained the lead in the sixth without a hit, scoring after an error, hit-by-pitch, walk, and a fielder’s choice.
Once again, the Gusties were able to tie the game in bottom half. Chris Knowles (Fy., New Ulm) singled up the middle, advanced to second on a groundout, stole third, and scored on a single up the middle by Drake Siens (Fy., Rogers). The go-ahead run was thrown out at home and the inning ended tied 4-4.
The Tommies scored what proved to be the winning run in the eighth after an error, stolen base, sac bunt, and RBI single. The Gusties had the tying run on second base in both the eighth and ninth innings, but were unable to score.
Ben Brauer (Sr., Minneapolis) suffered the loss after two and one-third innings of relief. He allowed one unearned run on two hits. Charlie Hutchinson (Sr., Maple Grove) started the on the mound and lasted five and two-thirds innings. He allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and seven strikeouts. Novak led the offense, batting 3-for-5 with a run and a stolen base.
Gustavus travels to Bethel on Saturday afternoon for a MIAC doubleheader.