TUCSON, Ariz. – The Gustavus baseball team improved its Tucson record to 7-0 after starting the week off with a 12-7 performance over the Kalamazoo Hornets. With the win, the Gusties move to 10-2 on the season.
After just squeaking by Concordia Wisconsin on Sunday, the Gusties went into Monday’s game on fire. Gustavus exploded with five runs in the opening inning, highlighted by a Drake Siens (So., Rogers) triple.
Newcomer Luke Siegle (Fy., Blaine) took the mound for the Gusties to start the game as he stranded a runner going into a scoreless second inning.
Ahead 5-0 in the top of the third, Dalton Thelen (Sr., Cold Spring) scored on a passed ball before Luke Johnson (So., Paynesville) added on an RBI single bringing home Mitch Casperson (So., Le Sueur).
Fresh off MIAC Player of the Week honors, Jack Hanson (Sr., Minnetonka) hit a two-RBI triple extending the lead to 9-0.
In the bottom of the third, Siegle kept the Gusties ahead in the shutout before Logan Bjorkman (Jr., Lindstrom) tacked on an RBI sac fly to bring the scoring to double-digits.
Siegle saw his best inning of the day with his performance in the fourth, throwing a perfect nine pitches, nine strikes, and three strikeouts.
In his four innings pitched he allowed three hits and delivered seven strikeouts .
Kalamazoo cut into the lead with four runs in the fifth where the score stayed at 10-4 going into the seventh. Bjorkman added on a solo home run to make it 11-4.
The Hornets plated two more runs in the eighth before Ethan Mocchi (Sr., Champlin) hit a final sac fly to score Kathan Decker (So., Apple Valley) for the 12-7 finish.
Gustavus will rematch with Kalamazoo tomorrow for their final game of the trip.