Senior Scott Benjamin makes a diving catch in center field on Monday afternoon against St. Olaf. Photo taken by Jessica Williams `16.
St. Peter, Minn. – The Gustavus Adophus baseball team capped off the 2014 season with a split in a non-conference doubleheader against St. Olaf College on Monday at the Gustie Baseball Field. After suffering a 13-5 loss in the opening game of the twin bill, Gustavus bounced back with a 3-1 victory in the nightcap. Gustavus finishes its season with an overall record of 7-24, while St. Olaf moves to 20-18 overall and will finish its season with a conference doubleheader against Saint Mary’s tomorrow in Northfield.
Game One Recap
After St. Olaf grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Gustavus answered with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the frame to go up 3-2. Scott Benjamin (Sr., Northfield, Minn.) and Garrett Fuchs (Jr., Cold Spring, Minn.) delivered one-run singles, and Danny Carlson (Fr., Plymouth, Minn.) brought in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Following a scoreless second inning, St. Olaf put two runs on the scoreboard in both the third and fourth innings to take back the lead up 6-3.
Although Gustavus responded with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 6-5, the home squad could not muster any more offense on the way to the eight-run loss. Fuchs was responsible for both of the team’s runs in the fifth, driving in Benjamin with a single up the middle and later scoring on a passed ball.
Fuchs finished the game 3-for-3 with a run and two RBI. Benjamin also had a multiple-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a double, two runs, and a RBI.
Starter Connor Kern (Fr., Hutchinson, Minn.) suffered the loss after allowing six runs (five earned) on sixth hits in four innings. Michael Strelow (Jr., Braham, Minn.) allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits in two innings, and Jacob Meger (Fr., Belle Blaine, Minn.) gave up four runs on five hits in his one inning.
St. Olaf starter John Connell picked up the win after allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits in four and one-third innings. Kade Cronin shut the Gusties out over the remaining two and two-thirds innings of the game.
Game Two Recap
The Gusties benefited from a strong starting pitching performance by senior Dan Venn (Cannon Falls, Minn.) in game two. Venn, who made his first start of the season in his final collegiate game, pitched five complete innings and allowed just one run, which was unearned, on four hits. He recorded two strikeouts and walked just one batter on the way to his first victory of the season.
With St. Olaf on top 1-0 after scoring a run in the first inning, Gustavus took the lead (2-1) with two runs on two hits in the bottom of the third. Dalton Mattson (Fr., Princeton, Minn.) plated the tying run with a single to center field, and Scott Benjamin drove home the eventual game-winning run with a sacrifice fly to center field. Benjamin led the Gusties at the plate in game two, going 2-for-3 with a run and a RBI.
Following Venn’s five innings of work, Jake Volness (So., Cokato, Minn.) took the mound in a save opportunity. Volness proved unhittable in his two innings of work, earning the team’s first save of the season by retiring six consecutive Ole hitters.
Gustavus added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Josh Chatfield (Fr., Apple Valley, Minn.) scored Benjamin with a ground-ball single up the middle.