SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus baseball team Friday started its three-game series with No. 22 Saint John’s with an 8-3 victory at the Gustie Baseball Field. The Gusties blasted four home runs in the game while the pitching staff tossed eight scoreless innings and limited the Johnnies to seven hits. Gustavus improves to 7-1 overall and 2-1 in the MIAC, while the Johnnies drop to 10-2 overall and 0-1 in the league.
Weston Lombard (Sr., Stillwater) made his third start of the season and got into trouble in the first inning. Saint John’s started the game with a single and double to put runners in scoring position. Lombard was able to strike out the next two batters but gave up a three-run homer and the Johnnies held a 3-0 lead through the first.
The Gusties got on the board in the second to tie the game at 3-3 with a two-out rally. Dalton Thelen (Jr., Cold Spring) reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second, and scored on a single by Jack Hanson (Jr., Minnetonka). Cole Pengilly (Sr., Le Sueur) followed with a two-run triple.
Nick Azar (Jr., Edina) led off the third with a solo home run, which proved to be the winning run. Hanson followed suit in the fourth with a leadoff home run – his team-leading fourth of the season.
The Gusties added two runs in the fifth as Patrick Timmer (So., Lakeville) doubled and Thelen hit a two-run homer for a 7-3 lead. Bryce Novak (So., Cleveland) hammered a solo shot in the eighth for the final run of the game.
Lombard picked up his second win of the season after tossing six innings. He allowed three runs on four hits with six strikeouts and a walk. Gavyn Walsh (Sr., Andover) recorded four outs in relief, while Damon Rademacher (Sr., Princeton) closed out the game, allowing one hit with two strikeouts.
The Gusties collected 12 hits with Azar leading the way, batting 3-for-5 with a double and a home run.
Gustavus and Saint John’s conclude the series tomorrow in Collegeville, Minn. with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.