The Gustavus Adolphus College baseball team stepped out of MIAC play Sunday and picked up a doubleheader split with Bethany Lutheran College. The Gusties took game one 9-3, while the Vikings rode Jimmy Olson’s two home runs and six RBIs to an 11-8 win in game two.
Game One: Gustavus Adolphus 9, Bethany Lutheran 3
Gustavus took advantage of four Bethany Lutheran errors in addition to outhitting the Vikings 12-9 to post a 9-3 win in game one of the doubleheader.
Bethany Lutheran manufactured the game’s first run in the top of the first inning as leadoff batter Alex Smith drew a walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, moved to third on a wild pitch, and then scored on a single by Pete Harstad. The lead would not stand long, though, as the Gusties posted a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame.
Gustavus extended its lead with a RBI single by Nate Ruff (So., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) in the second, but watched as Jordan Miller scored from third base on a ground-out in the third inning.
The Gusties plated another run in their half of the third as Shea Roehrkasse (Jr., Jackson, Wyo./Jackson Hole) scored on a sacrifice fly by Eric Bigham (Fr., Robbinsdale, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret’s) and then added three more in the fourth as Mike DesLauriers (So., Minnetonka, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret’s) drove in Andrew Woitas (Fr., Sleepy Eye, Minn./St. Mary’s) with an RBI double to left and Roehrkasse drove in DesLauriers and Tony Konicek (Sr., Rochester, Minn./Mayo) with a two-RBI double up the middle.
The Vikings plated their final run in the fifth as Miller scored on a ground-out by Olson. After being held scoreless in the fifth, the Gusties added the exclamation point in the sixth inning as Konicek homered and Roehrkasse scored from third as the Vikings failed to turn a double play on a ball hit by Bigham.
Jake Kruegel (Fr., Apple Valley, Minn.) scattered three runs on five hits in four innings to pick up the win. Brandon Knoll (So., Princeton, Minn.) struck out three in three innings of scoreless relief.
Tyler Kaus (Jr., St. James, Minn.), DesLauriers, Roehrkasse, and Pat Siering (Jr., Eden Prairie, Minn.) each picked up two hits for the Gusties, with Roehrkasse driving in three and scoring a pair of runs.
Game Two: Bethany Lutheran 11, Gustavus Adolphus 8
Jimmy Olson went 3-for-3 and drove in six on a double and two home runs to lead Bethany Lutheran to an 11-8 victory in game two.
The Vikings scored two runs off Gustavus starting pitcher Adam Bren (Fr., Chatfield, Minn./Chosen Valley) in the first inning as Jordan Miller tripled in Alex Smith and then scored as part of an attempted double steal. The Gusties knotted the score in the bottom half of the inning as Konicek belted his second home run on the day to drive in a pair.
Olson’s first home run of the game gave Bethany Lutheran a 3-2 lead in the top of the second, but Gustavus took their first lead of the game as Spencer Campion (Fr., Plymouth, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret’s) and Nate Ruff scored on a two-RBI single by DesLauriers. A Campion sacrifice fly in the third that scored Roehrkasse pushed the Gustavus lead to 5-3.
A two-run home run by Olson and a RBI single by Alex Smith in the fourth moved the Vikings back in front 6-5. A Jake Blome RBI double in the fifth off Gustavus reliever Derek Eddie (Fr., Owatonna, Minn.) plated another run to push the BLC lead to 7-5.
Gustavus plated three runs in the fifth as Konicek led off the inning with a triple and then scored on a balk. Bigham and Siering followed with back-to-back singles before both were driven in on a triple by Campion to put the Gusties ahead 8-7.
BLC tied the score at 8-8 in the sixth as Jordan Miller scored from a third on a Gustavus error and then took the lead for good as Olson once again provided the big hit, clearing the bases with a three-RBI double to left center.
Neither starting pitcher figured into the decision. Bethany Lutheran’s Bryan Beisell pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs on five hits, while Gustavus’ Adam Bren allowed six runs on six hits in four innings. Ryan Kennedy pitched 1 2/3 innings allowing one run on three hits to record the victory for the Vikings, while Darron Culbert pitched a scoreless seventh inning to record the save. Eddie allowed five runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings to take the loss for the Gusties.
Olson had the biggest game for BLC, but the Vikings also got solid efforts offensively from Alex Smith (3-4, RBI), Jordan Miller (2-5, RBI, 2R), and Jake Blome (3-3, RBI, 2R), while Konicek, Roehrkaasse, Siering, and Campion each collected two hits for Gustavus.
Gustavus (19-11, 12-4 MIAC) will face Carleton (11-16, 3-11 MIAC) in Northfield Wednesday afternoon with an opportunity to lock up a spot in the MIAC playoffs. The Gusties need a win in any of their final four league games or a loss by Augsburg to make the field of four in Dundas May 11-13.