The Gustavus baseball team pushed its overall record to 7-2 Tuesday with an 8-5 win over UW-Whitewater at the RussMatt Greater Phoenix Invitational. The Gusties put three runs up in the third inning and four more in the seventh.
UW-Whitewater, the 2005 NCAA Division III champion, took the game’s first lead when it pushed a pair of runs across in the top of the third inning. An rbi triple by Ben Prather drove in Nick Teach, while a sacrifice fly by Warhawk third baseman Greg Harder moved Prather the final 90 feet around the bases.
Gustavus responed in its half of the third inning, plating three runs on two hits and two Whitewater errors. Tyler Kaus (So., St. James, Minn.) singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second as Aaron Madson (Sr., North Mankato, Minn.) reached courtesy of a bobble by the Warhawk left fielder. Tony Konicek (Rochester, Minn.) followed with a fielder’s choice, scoring Kaus, but retiring Madson. Ben Sherer (Sr., Bismarck, N.D.) plated Konicek with his first double of the day and subsequently scored on a ball that escaped the grasp of Whitewater catcher Jon Deck.
The 3-2 Gustavus lead held until the fifth inning when Whitewater plated two more runs. Harder put the Warhawks ahead 4-3 with a two-out double that scored both Deck and Prather. Neither run was earned as Deck had reached on an error earlier in the inning.
The Gusties manufactured a run in the bottom half of the fifth to tie the score. Wade Vrieze (Jr., Richfield, Minn.) singled to open the inning and advanced around to third base on a ground-out and a deep fly-out. Pat Siering (So., Eden Prairie, Minn.) singled to bring Vrieze in, but was stranded as Mike Bohnen (Fr., Sleepy Eye, Minn.) struck out looking to end the inning.
Andrew Hoffer (So., Hopkins, Minn.) started the seventh inning on the mound for Gustavus but found himself headed to the dugout after allowing the first two Warhawk batters of the inning to reach base on a triple and a hit batsman. A rbi sacrifice fly by Praether off Gustie reliever Justin Boelter (So., Eagan, Minn.) allowed Whitewater to regain the one-run lead at 5-4. Boelter would then work himself into and then out of a jam to close out the inning, walking the bases loaded with two outs before inducing a
fly-out by Justin Stewart.
Warhawk pitching walked in a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to put the Gusties back up by a run at 6-5 before allowing Roehrkasse to push two more runs across the plate with a two-rbi double.
Boelter held the lead through the eighth inning before yielding to Vrieze and Josh Spitzack (Sr., West Concord, Minn.) who combined to pitch a scoreless ninth.
Hoffer allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits while striking out five in six innings of work.
Ben Sherer led the Gusties with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate with a pair of doubles and a pair of runs scored. Shea Roehrkasse (So., Jackson Hole, Wyo.) also chipped in with a pair of hits.
The Gusties pounded out ten hits compared to Whitewater’s seven.
Gustavus will face North Carolina Wesleyan in a doubleheader Wednesday.