The Gustavus baseball team extended its MIAC win streak to eight games by sweeping Carleton 10-4 and 11-2 on Saturday. The Gusties, who tied St. Olaf for third place in the regular season standings, are the one of the hottest teams in the league heading into the post-season tournament.
Against the Knights, the Gusties pounded out 29 hits and scored 21 runs in the two games.In addition, Coach Mike Carroll’s squad got strong pitching from Tom Hutton and Josh Spitzack in game one and Ben Levy in game two.
In the first game, Gustavus scored two runs in each of the first two innings and led 4-1. The Gusties scored three of the four runs on rbi singles by Ash Larsen, Aaron Madson, and Bryant Rogness. Rogness, who scored on a balk in the second inning, had the game-winning hit when he drove in two runs with a double in the fourth inning. Gustavus, which led 8-4 after five innings, scored two more runs in the sixth to make the final score 10-4. Tom Hutton picked up the win on the mound as he allowed three earned runs on three hits in five innings of work. Josh Spitzack pitched the final two innings and did not allow a hit. Matt Topeff suffered the loss for Carleton. He allowed five earned runs in five innings.
In the second game, a six-run fifth inning broke the game open for the Gusties. The big fifth inning was sparked by a two-run pinch hit double by freshman Wade Vrieze. Tyler Vrieze, Trent Larson and Tony Konicek all hit rbi singles to help the Gusties extend their lead to 11-0. Ben Levy shut the Knights down on the mound allowing no runs and one hit through five innings. The Knights avoided the shutout by scoring once in the sixth and once in the seventh to make the final score 11-2. Levy struck out seven and allowed four hits in the complete game victory. Tanner Schieck suffered the loss on the mound for Carleton as he allowed six earned runs and 11 hits in four and one-third innings of work.
Senior Bryant Rogness had a big doubleheader for the Gusties as he 5-for-8 at the plate scoring three runs and driving in three runs. Tony Konicek also went 5-for-8 and scored three runs.
Gustavus finished the regular season with a record of 25-13 overall and 13-7 in the MIAC. The 25 wins ties a school record for wins in a season which was set in 2002. Tony Konicek set the school record for at-bats in the season with 147 and now needs three hits in Monday’s doubleheader against Finlandia to break Brad Mazer’s record for hits in a season of 64. Konicek has also set a new record for rbi in a season with 49. The old record was 44 set by Landon Rathmann in 1997. Bryant Rogness also broke the record for runs scored in a season as he moved his total to 46. The old record was 43 set by Chris Swansson in 1997.