The Gustavus Adolphus College baseball team picked up a doubleheader split with Bethel Saturday, inching closer to clinching a spot in the MIAC Playoffs. The teams combined with 69 hits and 19 extra-base hits between the two games. Pat Siering (Jr., Eden Prairie, Minn.) went 6-for-6 with five runs scored, five RBIs, and a pair of home runs to lead the Gusties.
Game One – Bethel 18, Gustavus Adolphus 8
Bethel knocked out 20 hits in game one, roughing up four Gustavus pitchers en route to a 18-8 victory. The Royals picked up the bulk of their runs in a nine-run third inning which was highlighted by a Kirby Carr three-run home run to right field and Garrett Kramer legged out a three-RBI double to right center. Bethel added three runs each in the sixth and seventh innings to hold off any threat of a Gustavus comeback.
The Gusties posted three runs in the fourth on a RBI single by Eric Bigham (Fr., Robbinsdale, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret’s) and a two-RBI single by Tyler Kaus (Jr., St. Peter, Minn.) and added two more in the fifth on Siering’s first homer of the day. Gustavus hung three more runs on the board in the bottom of the seventh on another home run by Siering, a pinch-hit single to center field by Jake Bohnen (So., Sleepy Eye, Minn./St. Mary’s), and another RBI single by Kaus.
Tyler Kramer led the Royals at the plate, going 4-for-5 with an RBI triple in the nine-run third and a RBI double in the sixth. Kramer also scored five runs. Kirby Carr added three hits, driving in five, led by a three-run home run in the third inning. Garrett Kramer also drove in five on a RBI single and a pair of RBI doubles. Mike Gaustad also hit a home run to straight-away center field in the third inning.
Siering went 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs in game one to lead the Gusties. Kaus also drove in three while going 4-for-5 at the plate. Bigham went 3-for-4 as Gustavus pounded out 17 hits.
John Buteyn pitched five innings allowing five runs and scattering 12 hits to pick up the win. Travis Adams pitched the final two innings allowing three runs on five hits. Gustavus starting pitcher Dave Wold (Jr., Woodbury, Minn.) lasted 2 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs (five earned) on four hits with four strikeouts to take the loss.
Game Two – Gustavus Adolphus 18, Bethel 8
The Royals jumped out to another quick lead in game two, scoring three runs on four hits, led by RBI singles by Kirby Carr and Dana Hegman. Gustavus knotted the score at 3-3 in the third inning as Andy Woitas (Fr., Sleepy Eye, Minn./St. Mary’s) singled in Nate Ruff (So., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) and Tony Konicek (Sr., Rochester, Minn./Mayo) belted his fifth home run of the season to score Woitas.
Bethel retook the lead with three runs in the fourth inning led by a two-RBI double to right field by Hegman and a sacrifice fly by Gaustad, but surrendered the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning as Royals starting pitcher Isaac Hamilton allowed four runs during a seven-run inning for the Gusties. Gustavus added another run in the fifth and then posted seven more in the sixth.
After being held without a hit in game one, Konicek exploded for four hits in five at-bats, driving in five and scoring three runs in the process, to lead the Gusties to an 18-8 win in game two. Siering and Bigham each posted three hits and scored a pair of runs. Andrew Woitas went 2-for-4 with four RBIs.
Kirby Carr went 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored to lead the Royals, while Brandon Carr added a 3-for-5 effort with three runs scored. Hegman finished 3-for-4 and drove in three, while Gaustad went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs batted in.
Gustavus starting pitcher Andrew Hoffer (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) allowed six runs and scattered 11 hits in four innings to pick up the win. Charlie Cicalello (Jr., St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) pitched effectively for the final three innings, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out a pair. Isaac Hamilton pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs on 10 hits and was hung with the loss. Three Royals relievers combined to allow 11 runs on eight hits.
Gustavus’ doubleheader with Bethany Lutheran originally scheduled for Monday has been pushed up to Sunday at 1 p.m. in St. Peter. The Gusties (18-10, 12-4 MIAC) and St. Thomas (24-9, 12-4 MIAC) each sit only one game back of league-leader St. Olaf (25-4, 13-3 MIAC) with four league games remaining. The Tommies helped close the gap with a sweep of the Oles Saturday in Northfield. Gustavus returns to MIAC play Wednesday with a doubleheader at Carleton before closing out the regular season with a key MIAC doubleheader against St. Olaf May 5 in St. Peter.