TUCSON, Ariz. – The Gustavus baseball team concluded play at the Tucson Invitational on Friday with a doubleheader sweep over Wabash. The Gusties took game one 5-2 before a 10-7 win in game two, improving to 5-3 overall.
Gustavus 5, Wabash 2 | BOX SCORE
Playing as the visitors in game one, the Gusties started the contest with a run in first inning as Brice Panning (Jr., Hamburg, Minn.) led off with a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Sam Archer (Sr., Zimmerman, Minn.). Wabash answered in the bottom half after a pair of walks, a stolen base, and a RBI groundout. The Little Giants then took a 2-1 lead in the third on a walk, stolen base, and RBI double, but that would be their final run of the game.
Gustavus regained the lead in the fourth as Nathan Lindberg (So., Bloomington, Minn.) walked and scored on a double off the bat of Jack Hanson (Fy., Minnetonka, Minn.). Two batters later, Panning knocked in Hanson with a sacrifice fly.
The Gusties added single insurance runs in the sixth and seventh. Panning recorded his second RBI of the day for the fourth run and Cole Pengilly (So., Le Sueur, Minn.) scored the fifth run after singling and crossing home on a double play.
Panning and Pengilly led the offense with two hits apiece. Gavyn Walsh (So., Andover, Minn.) earned the win in relief. He faced nine batters with three hits and two strikeouts. Christian Johnson (So., Buffalo, Minn.) tossed 2.1 innings without allowing a run and fanning three. Damon Rademacher (So., Princeton, Minn.) earned the save after making the final four outs with two strikeouts.
Gustavus 10, Wabash 7 | BOX SCORE
The Gusties started game two with a burst of offense, scoring four runs in the first, three in the second, and two more in the third for a commanding 9-0 lead after three frames.
Matt Berkner (Sr., Sleepy Eye, Minn.) and Lindberg each had RBI singles in the first, followed by a two-run double by Hanson. Archer then plated two in the second with a double and Ethan Mocchi (So., Champlin, Minn.) ensued with an RBI single for the seventh run.
A sacrifice fly by Carter Clemensen (So., Cologne, Minn.) in the third frame made it 8-0 and Panning followed with a run-scoring single to make it 9-0.
Wabash ended the shutout in the fourth after an RBI double and two-run homer for three runs. Mitch Nordin (Jr., Mahtomedi, Minn.) left the mound after the fourth in line for the win, allowing three runs on six hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Archer came in relief and pitched a scoreless fifth, but was tagged for four runs in the sixth as Wabash took advantage of three consecutive hits followed by four walks. Weston Lombard (So., Stillwater, Minn.) got out of the jam with the final out of the inning and Rademacher tallied his second straight save with a scoreless seventh.
Archer (2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI), Mocchi (2-4, R, RBI), Lindberg (2-4, 2 R, RBI), and Hanson (2-3, R, 2 RBI) all had multiple hits.
Gustavus now returns to snow-laden Minnesota and hosts UW-Stout next Saturday for its home opener, pending the potential of snow removal and melt on the turf field.