Aaron Madson (So., North Mankato, Minn.) went 7-for-8 at the plate with four runs scored and four driven in, while Ben Sherer (So., Bismarck, N.D.) went 6-for-8 at the plate with four runs scored and three RBI, as Gustavus Adolphus College put together 33 hits in pounding host Augsburg College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Parade Stadium.
Gustavus won the first game 11-4 and took the second game 14-4 to improve to 16-9 overall, 5-5 in MIAC play. Augsburg saw its streak of doubleheader splits end at six in falling to 12-15 overall, 4-6 in MIAC play.
Madson, hitting in the No. 7 hole in the Gustie lineup, went 4-for-4 with a double and triple, two RBI and three runs scored in the first game, while going 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI in the second game. Meanwhile, Sherer went 3-for-5 in both games, hitting a two-run homer in the second game.
Gustavus pounded out 17 hits in the first game and 16 hits in the second, and also took advantage of seven Augsburg errors in the contest — two in the first game and five in the second — as eight of the 25 runs allowed were unearned.
In the first game, the Gusties scored nine runs in a three-inning span midway through the contest to turn it into a blowout. A two-run single by Mike Holman (Jr., Rockford, Minn.) in the second inning, run-scoring doubles by Madson and Holman in the third, and three unearned runs came across in the fourth frame.
Augsburg had 10 hits in the first game — including a 3-for-4 effort by Andy Nelson (So., Waseca, Minn.), but stranded eight runners on base.
Josh Spitzack (So., West Concord, Minn.) pitched a complete-game victory for the Gusties, striking out three while allowing one walk.
The second game was close through the first four innings, but the Gusties scored nine runs in the final three innings to claim the rout. Run-scoring singles by Trent Larson (Sr., Burnsville, Minn.) and Madson gave the Gusties a 7-4 lead in the fifth, and two more runs came across on a single by Larson in the sixth. A three-run triple by Tyler Vrieze (Sr., Richfield, Minn.) and two-run homer by Scherer accounted for the scoring in the seventh.
Tony Konicek (Fr., Rochester, Minn.) had a double and triple in going 2-fof-5 with three runs scored and four RBI. Ash Larsen (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.) and Larson also went 2-for-5 each, while leadoff hitter Bryant Rogness (Sr., Lakeville, Minn.) went 2-for-4, scoring three runs.
Ricky Schreier (So., Maplewood, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS) went 2-for-4 for the Auggies, scoring twice and driving in a run, while Nelson and Troy Deden (So., Northfield, Minn.) went 2-for-4 with an RBI each.
Ben Levy (Fr., St. Louis Park, Minn.) pitched four innings to pick up the win for the Gusties, with Larson pitching three innings of relief for the save. Jeremy Nelson (Jr., Maplewood, Minn./Roseville HS) started and struck out three in six innings of work for the Auggies, with just four of the nine runs against him earned.
Augsburg returns to action on Sunday (4/18) at 1 p.m., hosting Concordia-Moorhead in a doubleheader at Parade Stadium. Gustavus returns to action on Tuesday (4/20) with a single game against Division II Minnesota State-Mankato at 3 p.m. at Gustavus.
(Story courtesy of Don Stoner, Augsburg Sports Information)