ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Gustavus baseball team lost two tight games in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at Macalester College on Friday, losing by scores of 6-2 and 4-3 to move its record to 17-11 overall and 5-5 in the MIAC.
Macalester 6, Gustavus 2 (Box)
Despite taking a 2-0 early lead, two Macalester home runs carried the Scots to a game one victory.
The Gusties scored two runs off two hits in the first inning, which would eventually stand as their only runs of the game. Isaiah Welckle (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn.) led off the game with a base on balls and came around to score off a Dan Carlson (Sr., Plymouth, Minn.) single and a Macalester error to put Gustavus on the board. An RBI single from Brice Panning (Fy., Hamburg, Minn.) followed a Brock Peterson (Jr., Cannon Falls, Minn.) base hit to push the lead to 2-0.
Starting pitcher Adam Stockwell (So., Apple Valley, Minn.) and the Gustie defense held the Scots scoreless up until the fourth inning. Quentin Stuart hit a two-run home run over the left field fence to put Macalester on the board and tie the game at 2-2.
The Scots then added a three-run homer in the fifth inning to grab a 5-2 lead. Sam Archer (So., Zimmerman, Minn.) came in to relieve Stockwell on the mound in the sixth and gave up one run off one hit as Macalester increased its lead to 6-2. Matthew Plisko retired the Gusties in the seventh to earn the win and the complete game.
Panning, Carlson, and John Lundquist (Jr., Rochester, Minn.) led the Gustavus offense, tallying two base hits each.
Stockwell suffered the loss on the mound, surrendering two earned runs in five innings pitched as his record falls to 2-3 on the season.
Macalester 4, Gustavus 3 (Box)
The Gusties and the Scots traded leads three times before Macalester scored the winning run in the seventh to claim the game two victory and series sweep.
Sam Carlson (Sr., St. James, Minn.) received the nod on the rubber in game two and first allowed Macalester to cross the plate in the third inning as they scored a run off two hits to claim a 1-0 lead.
The Gusties responded in the fifth inning with two runs off three hits to grab a 2-1 lead. A two-run double from Josh Chatfield (Sr., Apple Valley, Minn.) scored Carlson and Welckle.
Macalester answered with two runs off their own in the sixth inning with a double and a 2-RBI single down the left field line to take a 3-2 lead.
Chatfield wasted no time to come through again for the Black and Gold as he helped tie the game at 3-3 in the seventh. The top of the Gustie lineup in Welckle and Carlson reached base before Chatfield knocked in a run with a single to right center.
With the scored knotted at three a piece, Mitchell Nordin (Fy., Mahtomedi, Minn.) began the seventh inning on the mound, relieving Carlson after six solid innings. Plagued by two defensive errors, Nordin and the Gustie defense allowed the Scots to take a 4-3 lead.
The road team sent the Gusties own one-two-three in the eighth while Casey Lewandoski (Jr., Fairbanks, Alaska) came in to relieve Nordin in the bottom half, holding the Scots scoreless to give Gustavus a chance in the final frame.
Welckle looked to start a rally in the ninth, posting his second his second double of the game prior to Carlson being hit by a pitch to put two men on with one out. However, a ground ball back to the pitcher initiated a force out and a fly out closed out the game as the Scots took the series sweep.
Chatfield (3-4, 2B, 3 RBI), Welckle (2-4, 2 2B), and Carlson (1-1, 3 BB, 1 HBP), led the Gusties at the plate. After going 2-2 with a walk and hit by pitch in game one, Carlson reached base in each plate appearance in game two to reach base in all nine of his plate appearances during the doubleheader.
Gustavus returns home looking to bounce back tomorrow, hosting St. Olaf College. Game one is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch.