The Gustavus Adolphus baseball team closed out its MIAC schedule with a split at St. Olaf Saturday in Northfield. St. Olaf limited Gustavus to two hits in the Oles’ 11-0 game one win, but allowed 15 hits in game two as the Gusties took game two 6-1. Wade Vrieze (Jr., Richfield, Minn.) hit a home run and Tony Konicek (Jr., Rochester, Minn.) added a pair of doubles in the game two win.
In game one, the Oles became the first team in a while to neutralize the Gustavus offense. St. Olaf scored two runs in the first inning, three in the third, another in the fifth and five in the sixth, all charged to Gustie starting pitcher Andy Schmidt (Sr., Lakeville, Minn.). St. Olaf was led by right fielder Andrew Schmiesing, who went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI.
Schmidt (5-1) pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing 11 runs on ten hits while striking out three before being lifted in favor of Chad Schnettler (So., Sartell, Minn.). Schnettler pitched the final 2/3 of an inning, allowing one hit. Ole starting pitcher Paul Johnson pitched a complete game two-hitter, allowing only singles to Mike DesLauriers (Fr., Minnetonka, Minn.) in the fifth and Ben Sherer (Sr., Bismarck, N.D.) in the seventh.
In game two, the Gustavus bats came alive for 15 hits off four Ole pitchers. Schmidt gained a measure of revenge, going 4-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and one run scored as the Gusties’ designated hitter.
The Gusties took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Schmidt drove in Sherer with a RBI single and extended the lead with a Konicek RBI double in the second and a RBI single by third baseman Aaron Madson (Sr., North Mankato, Minn.) in the fourth before Vrieze’s two-run home run in the fifth inning.
The Oles got one run back in the sixth as center fielder Brian Astry scored on a sacrifice fly by Schultheis. Gustavus added another run in the seventh inning as Schmidt drove in Sherer for the second time on the day with a RBI single.
Josh Spitzack (West Concord, Minn.) improved to 8-4 on the mound, pitching a complete game five-hitter. The senior allowed one run and walked only three while striking out four. Konicek finished the game 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored, while right fielder Tyler Kaus (So., St. James, Minn.) went 3-for-4 with a run scored as the only other Gusties with multiple hits.
St. Olaf (26-8, 15-5 MIAC) and Gustavus (26-11, 14-6 MIAC) finished second and third, respectively, in the final 2006 MIAC standings and will meet in the first round of the MIAC Baseball Tournament Friday, May 12 in Northfield. Prior to that, however, the Gusties will wrap up their regular season Monday afternoon with a makeup doubleheader at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa.