SAINT PETER, Minn. – For the second time this week, the Gustavus baseball team erased a late-inning deficit for a comeback walk-off victory to secure a doubleheader sweep. The Gusties on Thursday defeated Augsburg 9-2 in game one before eliminating a 5-2 deficit in the eighth inning of game two, scoring two in the eighth and two in the ninth for a 6-5 walk-off winner. The Gusties improve to 22-3 overall and 17-3 in the MIAC with their sixth conference sweep.
Gustavus 9, Augsburg 2 | BOX SCORE
The Gusties did most of their damage in the second by scoring five runs on six hits and a walk. Chris Knowles (Fy., New Ulm) hit an RBI double to score Ethan Mocchi (Sr., Champlin), who led off with a single. Dalton Thelen (Jr., Cold Spring) singled and Luke Johnson (So., Paynesville) walked to load the bases for Jake Christenson (Sr., Cannon Falls) who followed with a bases-clearing triple. Bryce Novak (So., Cleveland) ensued with a single to score Christenson for the fifth run.
Novak started on the mound on was perfect through four innings. With two outs in the fifth, Novak allowed the first base runner of the game on a walk but got out of the inning with a strikeout. Novak kept his no-hitter intact until a leadoff home run in the seventh inning ended his day on the mound. He finished with nine strikeouts to improve to 3-0.
Jacob Prosch (Fy., Champlin) got his first career relief appearance and closed out the seventh, allowing one unearned run on one hit.
The Gusties added one insurance run in the fourth on a sac fly by Mocchi, and another three in the sixth. Mocchi hit a single to score Jack Hanson (Sr., Minnetonka) and two batters later, Thelen hit a ground-rule double to score Cole Pengilly (Sr., Le Sueur) and Nick Azar (Jr., Edina).
The Gusties collected 14 hits, led by Pengilly batting 3-for-4 with two runs and three stolen bases.
Gustavus 6, Augsburg 5 | BOX SCORE
Gustavus took an early 1-0 lead in the first as Hanson hit his first triple of the season and scored on a groundout by Pengilly.
The Auggies gained their first lead of the day in the third with a pair of runs resulting from two hit-batsmen, an error, and a double. Augsburg increased its lead to 3-1 in the fourth after a two-out walk followed by an RBI double.
The visitors continued to increase their lead in the sixth with two more runs after a walk, single, and two-run double, making the score 5-1. The Gusties answered with a run in the sixth as Novak led off with a single, stole second, and scored on a single by Pengilly.
Damon Rademacher (Sr., Princeton) came in relief in the seventh and kept the game in reach by throwing scoreless seventh and eighth innings.
The Gusties put their rally caps on in the eighth. Novak hit another leadoff single, ending the Auggies’ starting pitcher’s day. Thelen followed with an infield single, advancing Novak to third. Pengilly then hit a sac fly to score Novak. Two batters later, Mocchi came through with a single up the middle to score Thelen, making it a one-run game.
Rademacher came out for his third inning of relief in the ninth and faced just four batters, setting up the chance for another comeback in the bottom half. Kathen Decker (So., Apple Valley) led off with a single up the middle and Johnson followed with an infield single to put the tying run in scoring position. Christenson stepped in as a pinch hitter and reached on a fielder’s choice as Johnson was forced out at second; Decker moved to third. Novak then hit a groundout to the third basemen, allowing Decker to score the tying run. Thelen came up to the plate and hit a single through the right side, scoring Christenson from second for the walk-off victory.
Rademacher earned his fifth win of the season after tossing three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit and striking out four. Thelen led at the plate, batting 3-for-4 with a run and the game-winning RBI. Pengilly was also big at the plate with three RBI.
Gustavus hosts Saint Mary’s at 1 p.m. Sunday in what could be the deciding game for the MIAC regular season championship.