Minneapolis – The Gustavus Adolphus baseball team opened its 2013 season with a pair of losses to Elmhurst College in a doubleheader on Sunday night at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The Gusties built leads in each of the two games, but were not able to hold them, losing 5-2 in game one and 8-4 in game two. Gustavus opens the season 0-2 while Elmhurst begins its season 2-0.
Game One – Gustavus 2, Elmhurst 5
Gustavus got out to an early lead in game one. After leaving the bases full in the top of the first inning, the Gusties were able to manufacture runs in the second and third innings. Max Laureano (Sr., Plymouth, Minn.) led things off in the top of the second by reaching first base on a hit-by-pitch.
David Tranvik (Jr., Robbinsdale, Minn.) followed with a walk that advanced Laureano to second, and Christopher Kelly (So., Savage, Minn.) laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved him up to third. Now with two runners in scoring position, Tim Miller (Sr., Eden Prairie, Minn.) sent a screaming ground ball up the middle to score Laureano, but Tranvik was gunned down at the plate and the Gusties had their first run of the 2013 season.
Gustavus struck again in the third. Drew Block (Sr., Rochester, Minn.) led off the inning with a single to center field. After advancing on another hit batter and a passed ball, Block scored on a Max Fidler (So., Lino Lakes, Minn.) groundball to third and the Gusties pushed their lead to 2-0 in the early going.
Both teams went down quietly in the ensuing innings until the Elmhurst bats came alive in the bottom of the fifth. The Bluejays went on to erupt for five runs on seven hits to take a 5-2 lead. Gustavus made things interesting in the top of the seventh with a pair of one-out singles, but both runners were left stranded and the score of 5-2 was made final.
Grant Soderburg (So., Eden Prairie, Minn.) took the loss after giving up five runs on 10 hits and striking out four. Jordan Hanlon was the winning pitcher for the Bluejays. Hanlon gave up two runs on four hits in five innings of work.
Game Two – Gustavus 4, Elmhurst 8
The Gustie men got out in front early again in the second game of the double header. An RBI triple by Scott Benjamin (Jr., Northfield, Minn.) turned into a two-run triple when Benjamin scored on a throwing error and gave Gustavus the 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Elmhurst answered with a run in the top of the second, but the Gusties scored two more in the bottom of the fourth to extend their lead to 4-1. Gustavus loaded the bases on three straight walks to open the inning. Laureano scored on a groundball and Tranvik scored on a wild pitch to put the Gusties in front by three runs headed to the fifth.
Facing a three-run deficit, Elmhurst came back to score two runs in the top of the sixth to cut the score to 4-3, but the bulk of the damage was done in the top of the seventh. The Bluejays went on to score five runs on three hits, four walks, and two Gustavus errors. From there, the Gusties could not mount a comeback and the final score of 8-4 went in the books.
Kellan Euerle (Jr., St. Cloud, Minn.) was given the loss after giving up three runs, two of which were earned, on just one hit. Erik Swanson was recorded as the winning pitcher for Elmhurst.
The Gusties will be in action again next Sunday night at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for a double header against UW-Stevens Point, scheduled to begin at 9:15 p.m.