The Gustavus baseball team team rallied from an 8-1 deficit to claim a 9-8 win in game two of the doubleheader with St. Olaf on Sunday afternoon in St. Peter. The Oles won game one 5-3. Ben Eklo was the winning pitcher in game two for the Gusties. Gustavus moves to 12-16 overall and 6-8 in the MIAC, while St. Olaf moves to 15-11 overall and 8-4 in the MIAC.
In game one, the Gusties scored three runs in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead over the Oles. Senior catcher Mike Holman came up with the big hit as he drove in two runs with a bases loaded double. Ash Larsen drove in the third run with a sacrifice fly. The Oles cut the lead to 3-1 when Luke Gagnon singled in Chris Terrazas in the top of the fourth inning. Saint Olaf scored three more times in the top of the fifth to take a 4-3 lead. Tony DeLaHunt hit a two-run home run and Terrazas hit a solo home run for the Oles. Saint Olaf scored an insurance run in the sixth inning as Andrew Schmiesing’s single drove in Josh Schultheis. Gustavus put runners in scoring position in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh innings but could not get the key hit to score runs. Will Huepenbecker pitched seven innings scattering six hits and allowing three runs (one earned) to pick up the win for St. Olaf. Josh Spitzack, who pitched seven innings allowing 10 hits and five runs (four earned), suffered the loss for Gustavus. ChrisTerrazas went 2-for-3 with a home run to lead St. Olaf, while Ash Larsen went 2-for-3 with one RBI to lead Gustavus.
In game two, the Oles jumped all over Gustavus starter Andy Schmidt for four runs in the first inning. The four runs and five hits in the first inning were more than Schmidt had given up in his previous 14 innings against St. Thomas and Augsburg. Andrew Schmiesing, Brett Thoreson, Josh Schultheis, and Evan Klefsaas all drove in runs for St. Olaf. The Oles scored another run in the third inning and two more in the fourth inning to extend their lead to 7-0 over Gustavus. The Gusties would start their rally with one run in the fifth and then tie the score at 8-8 with seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Tyler Kaus started the Gusties big innings with a single driving in Wade Vrieze from second base. After Ben Sherer walked, Aaron Madson doubled driving in both Kaus and Sherer. Charlie Cicalello reached on a fielder’s choice and then Nate Bower walked before Mike Holman singled driving in Cicalello. Ash Larsen then delivered a key hit with a triple which allowed Bower and Holman to score and cutting the Ole lead to 8-7. Larsen scored on a wild pitch tying the score at 8-8. Gustavus scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh when Ben Sherer reached base on an error, stole second, and then advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a wild pitch. There was one out when Sherer scored the winning run.
Andy Schmidt pitched five innings for Gustavus giving up 12 hits and allowing seven runs (all earned). Ben Eklo, who pitched the final two innings, allowed two hits an one run and was credited with the win. St. Olaf used four pitchers including Eric Tobias, Dan Hansen, Andy Dass, and Dan O’Malley. O’Malley, who pitched one-third of an inning, was the losing pitcher.
Gustavus will now host Macalester on Tuesday with the first game scheduled to start at 2:30 pm. The Oles will host Hamline on Tuesday.