The Gustavus baseball team extended its win streak to four games by sweeping a non-conference doubleheader against Martin Luther by the scores of 10-1 and 7-0 in St. Peter on Monday afternoon. The Gusties put on an impressive offensive display in the doubleheader as Coach Mike Carroll’s squad scored 10 runs and pounded out 18 hits in game one and added seven runs with 11 hits in game two. Cody Sukalski led the offensive onslaught with five hits in eight at-bats and four RBI in the two games. The winning pitchers were Tom Jaede in game one and Bryce Bintzler in game two.
In game one, Gustavus scored single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings to take a 3-0 lead and then broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning. The big five-run, seven-hit fifth all took place after two outs and was the result of six consecutive singles by Scott Benjamin, Kellan Euerle, Timmy Miller, Mike Holbrook, Taylor Fish, and Sukalski. The Gusties added the final two runs in the sixth on RBI singles by Benjamin and Miller. Sukalski, Benjamin, and Fish all registered three hits in the game, while Miller was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI. Tom Jaede turned in the finest pitching performance of his career as he scattered four hits and allowed one earned run in seven innings with one walk and six strikeouts.
In game two, Gustavus used another big inning to break the game open, this time it was a six-run second inning that included five singles, an error, a walk, a hit-by-pitch, and a sacrifice fly. The key hit was a bases loaded single by Sukalski that drove in two runs. Benjamin, Eurele, Miller, and Tranvik also drove in runs in the inning. Josh Funk was the starting pitcher and allowed two hits and no runs in three innings of work. Bryce Bintzler picked up the win in relief as he allowed just one hit in four innings of work and combined with Funk for a three-hit shutout.
Gustavus, which is now 9-16 overall, is scheduled to play a conference doubleheader at Carleton on Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 pm. The first game of the doubleheader will be broadcast on KNUJ AM 860 with Tom Wheeler handling the play-by-play. The game will also be broadcast the Gustavus website.