ST. PAUL, Minn. – Wednesday’s non-conference baseball game may have felt more like a late-fall football contest with temperatures in the 30s, but Gustavus was able to warm up the bats with a doubleheader sweep over Northwestern-St. Paul. The Gusties won game one 6-4 and game two 14-10, improving to 4-3 overall, while the Eagles fall to 5-11.
Gustavus 6, Northwestern-St. Paul 4 (Box Score)
Northwestern took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning after a single, stolen base, wild pitch, and an RBI single with two outs. The Gusties knotted the score at 1-1 in the fourth inning. Josh Chatfield (Sr., Apple Valley, Minn.) doubled to right center and advanced to third on a passed ball. He then scored as the Eagles turned a double play. The home team regained the lead in the bottom half with a run on two hits and an error.
Gustavus took its first lead of the day in the fifth with a pair of runs. Brice Panning (Fy., Hamburg, Minn.) walked and later scored as the Eagles defense turned another double play. Isaiah Welckle (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn.) then walked and scored as Danny Carlson (Sr., Plymouth, Minn.) doubled to center field. Sam Carlson (Sr., St. James, Minn.) pitched the first four innings and left with the lead, but Northwestern tied the score at 3-3 in the bottom half of the fifth on a solo home run off reliever Casey Lewandoski (Jr., Fairbanks, Alaska). The Black and Gold had an immediate answer in the sixth with a solo shot of their own, off the bat of Nolan Lepel (Jr., Plato, Minn.), his second in three games. The visitors added two insurance runs in the seventh. Danny Carlson doubled and scored on an RBI double off the bat of Chatfield. Chatfield later scored as John Lundquist (Jr., Rochester, Minn.) singled.
The Eagles got one run back in the bottom half on another solo home run, but Lewandoski got the final out to preserve the win. Sam Carlson took a no-decision after four innings of work. He allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits with a strikeout and two walks. Lewandoski got the win after three innings of relief. He allowed two runs on three hits with a strikeout and a walk.
Four Gusties posted two hits apiece – Welckle (2-3, R, 2B, BB), Dan Carlson (2-4, R, RBI, 2 2B), Chatfield (2-4, 2 R, RBI, 2 2B), and Brock Peterson (So., Cannon Falls, Minn.) (2-4).
Gustavus 14, Northwestern-St. Paul 10 (Box Score)
Game two of the series was controlled by Gustavus from the onset as it jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the third inning and never trailed. The Gusties increased their lead to 7-2 in the fifth on a two-run triple by Welckle and then posted five runs in the sixth for a commanding 12-2 advantage. Gustavus was set up to enforce the 10-run rule but the Eagles answered with six runs in the bottom half to prolong the game. The visitors added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh, but once again Northwestern made it interesting in the bottom half with three runs. The Gusties were able to fend off the rally, though, and held on for a four-run victory.
Welckle (2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HBP, SB) and Grant Brockhouse (So., Urbandale, Iowa) (2-4, R, 4 RBI, BB) led the Gusties at the plate with a pair of hits each. Panning earned his first collegiate win on the mound after tossing five innings. He allowed two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Kyle Pinke (Sr., St. James, Minn.) tossed a third of an inning, while Jacob Braun (Sr., Wayzata, Minn.) closed out the final inning and two-thirds. He allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits with two strikeouts and four walks.
Gustavus now travels to Tucson, Ariz. March 25-29 to compete in seven games against four different teams.