Grant Soderburg notched his first win of the season in game two.
Minneapolis – The Gustavus Adolphus baseball team picked up its first win of the season after splitting a doubleheader with Viterbo University on Sunday afternoon in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The Gusties dropped the first game by a final score of 2-0, but came back in the second game of the twin-bill to capture a 4-1 victory. With the split, Gustavus improves to 1-5 on the year, while Viterbo moves to 10-8.
Game 1 – Gustavus 0, Viterbo 2
In what was considered a pitcher’s duel, the V-Hawks used a two-run second inning to take home the win in game one. Pierce Belaustegui led things off by doubling down the left field line and advanced to third when Matt Watkins singled through the left side. Zac Copple singled to score Belaustegui and put Viterbo on top 1-0. A sacrifice bunt by Clay Langan moved Watkins to third before he scored on a balk for the second run of the inning.
The Gusties could not get anything going offensively in the game, scoring no runs on six hits and leaving six runners on base. Viterbo scored two runs on six hits and left seven men stranded.
Christopher Kelly (So., Savage, Minn.) pitched all six innings for Gustavus in the losing effort. Kelly was given the loss after allowing two runs on six hits and recording four strikeouts. Chris Dunn was awarded the win after pitching a shutout through six innings, giving up no runs on six hits and striking out seven. Blake Shepherd put the clamps down in the final inning to pick up the save after sending the Gusties down one-two-three in the top of the seventh.
Game 2 – Gustavus 4, Viterbo 1
In game two, it was Gustavus’ turn to have a big second inning. The Gusties went on to score four runs without a hit to take a 4-0 lead before Viterbo scored in the sixth to narrow the final score to 4-1.
Gustavus tallied four walks in the bottom of the second inning, and manufactured runs from there. Taylor Bigandt (Fr., Littleton, Colo.) scored when Max Fidler (So., Lino Lakes, Minn.) reached on an error and David Tranvik (Jr., Robbinsdale, Minn.) walked to score Sam Warner (Fr., Chanhassen, Minn.). During the next batter, Garrett Fuchs (So., Cold Spring, Minn.) scored on a wild pitch and Max Laureano (Sr., Plymouth, Minn.) did his job to score Fidler on a groundout to short.
The four runs were more than enough to support starting pitcher Grant Soderburg (So., Eden Prairie, Minn.), who picked up his first win of the season after going six and two-thirds innings on the hill. Soderburg gave up one run on five hits and struck out five before handing things over to Dan Venn (Jr., Cannon Falls, Minn.) for the final out to get the save. Cole Clements suffered the loss for Viterbo after giving up four runs in just one inning pitched.
The Gusties did not record a hit in the win. Instead, Gustavus took advantage of eight walks and one Viterbo error to score four runs in the victory.
Gustavus will next travel to Tucson, Ariz. for six games over a four-day weekend, leading off with UW-Superior and Wesleyan University on Thursday, March 21st.