Matt Morgan delivered a RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to cap off a two-run rally to give the Gustavus baseball team a 2-1 walk-off win over Augsburg on Saturday in St. Peter. The Gusties dropped the second game of the doubleheader 3-0. Alan Woitas went the distance on the mound for Gustavus in game one to improve to 2-0, while Brandon Knoll suffered the loss in the nightcap. The Gusties moved to 15-17 overall and 7-7 in the MIAC, while the Auggies reached 19-17 overall and 10-8 in the conference.
Game one featured a pitchers’ duel as Augsburg’s Kristofer Ozga and Gustavus’ Alan Woitas kept the opposing team from crossing home plate through five innings. The Auggies’ Tim Gerding led off the top of the sixth inning with a single up the middle as Augsburg played small ball to score the game’s first run. Gerding advanced to second and third after a sacrifice bunt and a groundball to the right side of the infield. Craig Henry hit a ground ball up the middle past a diving Nate Ruff to drive in Gerding to give the Auggies an 1-0 lead.
Ozga had the Gustie hitters off balance through six innings before Mike DesLauriers broke up the no-hitter on a single into left center with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Tory Herman then delivered a clutch double down the right field line scoring DesLauriers from first base. After an Erik Sveen walk, Gustavus had runners on first and second as Matt Morgan came to the plate with just one out. On the second pitch of the at-bat, coach Mike Carroll called for a hit-and-run with pinch runner Cody Sukalski and Sveen on base. Morgan ripped the pitch between the third baseman and the shortstop as Sukalski came across to the game-winning run.
Alan Woitas scattered six hits in seven innings with two strikeouts and a walk to pick up his second win of the season. The Gusties were held to just three hits, but all three came in the last inning to complete the come-from-behind victory.
The second game began in a similar fashion as both teams struggled to get runners in scoring position. Augsburg broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth when Craig Henry hit a RBI-double down the left field line driving in Brent Kolbow from third base. Two more runs scored after a Gustavus error before the frame was over with the Auggies leading 3-0. The Gusties mounted a comeback similar to that in game one when Tory Herman reached on an Augsburg error with one out. However, the rally ended when Gustavus hit into its third double play of the game as the Auggies won 3-0.
The Gusties managed just three hits from Andrew Woitas, Erik Sveen, and Nate Ruff in the second game as well. Starting pitcher Brandon Knoll worked five innings allowing one earned run on four hits. He walked four batters and struck out three in the losing effort.
Gustavus will face St. Olaf in a key conference doubleheader match-up on Sunday in St. Peter with the first pitch thrown at 1 p.m.