The Gustavus Adolphus baseball team got its season off to a good start early Monday morning with a sweep of Dickinson State (N.D.) at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis. Gustavus took game one 3-2 behind the strong pitching of Josh Spitzack (Sr., West Concord, Minn.) and used a five-run first inning to take game two by the score of 6-2.
Game 1 — Gustavus Adolphus 3, Dickinson State (N.D.) 2
After three scoreless innings to start the game, the Gusties got on the board with a run in the top of the fourth inning as Tony Konicek (Jr., Rochester, Minn.) reached base on an error by Blue Hawk third baseman Rory Tycoles. Following a groundout by Ben Sherer (Bismarck, N.D.) and a fly-out by Wade Vrieze (Jr., Richfield, Minn.), Shea Roehrkasse (So., Jackson Hole, Wyo.) drove Konicek in with a RBI single to right center. Roehrkasse was lifted in favor of courtesy runner Mike DesLauriers (Fr., Minnetonka, Minn.). DesLauriers moved to second on a walk by Robby Wiens (So., Burnsville, Minn.) before Pat Siering (So., Eden Prairie, Minn.) struck out to end the inning.
DSU’s Ed Warren opened the bottom of the fourth inning with a shot to center field that one-hopped the fence for a ground-rule double. Spitzack retired the next two batters on groundouts before ending the inning with a strikeout.
Gustavus put another run on the board in the sixth inning as Vrieze knocked in Konicek with a double that skittered along the turf just out of the reach of DSU shortstop Manny Balelo. Konicek had reached on a single to left field and moved to second after Ben Sherer was hit by a pitch. A walk to Roehrkasse loaded the bases for Wiens, who walked to force in a run to put the Gusties up 3-0.
The Blue Hawks battled back in the bottom of the sixth inning scoring two runs on a pair of hits. Balelo opened the inning with a single up the middle and moved to second as Adam Hurlburt was hit by a Spitzack pitch. Both runners advanced a base on a fly-out to deep center field by Warren. A shot by Felipe Gonzalez to left center fell out of the reach of a diving Wade Vrieze and rolled to the outfield wall, allowing Balelo and Hurlburt to score. DSU was unable to tie the game up in the frame as Spitzack induced ground-ball outs from the next two batters.
Anders Schmidt (Sr., Lakeville, Minn.) pitched the seventh inning in relief for the Gusties, picking up the save after getting out of a two-out jam with runners on first and second. All three outs in the bottom of the seventh inning came courtesy of fly-outs to Tony Konicek.
Roehrkasse finished the game 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk and a rbi. Aaron Madson (Sr., North Mankato, Minn.), Konicek, Vrieze and Charlie Ciccalello (So., St. Paul, Minn.) each added a hit for the Gusties.
Spitzack pitched six innings for the win, allowing two runs on five hits. He finished with three strikeouts and walked no one.
Balelo was the only Blue Hawk with multiple hits, finishing the game 2-for-4 at the plate.
Game 2 — Gustavus Adolphus 6, Dickinson State (N.D.) 2
Dave Wold (So., Woodbury, Minn.) opened game two of the doubleheader by allowing two of the first two Blue Hawk batters to reach base, but got out of the early jam by striking out designated hitter Felipe Gonzalez and inducing a groundout to shortstop Mike DesLauriers.
The Gusties exploded for five runs in the bottom of the first inning with all nine batters in the Gustavus line-up making the march to the plate. Aaron Madson opened the inning with a line drive that streaked past the outstretched glove of DSU third baseman Todd Houston. Madson moved to second on a chopper by DesLauriers that was snagged by DSU pitcher Mike Medina. A Tony Konick single to left field put runners on the corners for designated hitter Ben Sherer. A wild pitch by Medina scored Madson and moved Konicek to second. Konicek then scored as Sherer rapped a single to center field. Roehrkasse followed with a single, moving Sherer to second. Wade Vrieze followed with a double, the fifth Gustavus hit of the inning, which scored Sherer to give Gustavus 3-0 lead. Pat Siering extended the lead to 5-0 with a sharp line drive up the middle to score Roehrkasse from third and a speedy Vrieze from second. A pair of strikeouts brought the inning to a close.
Houston opened the top of the second with a line-drive single up the middle. A walk to Benny Martinez followed before Rolondo Rodriguez recorded the first out of the inning as Konicek made a tricky catch in center field, charging in on a shallow fly ball. Paulo Contreras popped out to Siering in foul territory at first base, bringing up Balelo and the top of the DSU batting order. Balelo flew out to Vrieze in left field to end the inning.
The Gusties added another run in the bottom of the second inning as Konicek unloaded a shot down the right field line to score Mike DesLauriers from first. DesLauriers had reached on a fielder’s choice earlier in the inning.
A pair of Gustavus batters reached base in the bottom of the third due to walks, but boh were stranded.
The Blue Hawks pushed a run across the board in the top of the fifth inning as Manny Balelo reached on a walk, stole both second and third bases and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Ed Warren. Dickinson State added a second run in the sixth inning as Houston drove in Charles Madden with a rbi double down the left field line.
Chad Schnettler (So., Sartell, Minn.) entered the game in relief in the seventh inning, allowing a single to Warren before registering a pair of strikeouts and getting Houston to line-out sharply to Jake Bohnen (Fr., Sleepy Eye, Minn.) to end the game.
The Gusties outhit the Blue Hawks 9-4 during game two, with Mike DesLauriers and Tony Konicek each going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Konicek, Vrieze and Siering each had a double in the win.
Gustavus opens the season 2-0 and will face Martin Luther in another doubleheader at the Metrodome Sunday evening. Dickinson State falls to 0-2.