NORTHFIELD, Minn. – No. 24 Gustavus baseball claimed an 8-2 victory Friday at Carleton in the first game of the MIAC play-in series. Weston Lombard (Sr., Stillwater) improved his record to 7-0 with a complete game effort on the mound, moving the Gusties (25-4) one win away from securing the No. 2 seed and a first round bye in the MIAC playoffs.
Dalton Thelen (Jr., Cold Spring) drove in the game’s first run with a sac fly in the second, scoring Ethan Mocchi (Sr., Champlin) who reached on a leadoff single. The Gusties took a 2-0 lead in the third as Jake Christenson (Sr., Cannon Falls) led off with a walk, stole second, and scored on a double to left by Jack Hanson (Jr., Minnetonka).
The Knights scored their first run in the bottom half on three hits, but Lombard stranded two runners to end the threat.
Chris Knowles (Fy., New Ulm) created some separation in the fourth, hitting a two-run homer over the left field fence. Thelen reached on an error and later scored on a fielder’s choice to make the score 5-1.
The Gusties increased their lead to 6-1 in the fifth as Cole Pengilly (Sr., Le Sueur) led off with a single, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a single up the middle by Mocchi. Carleton got that run back in the bottom half after a walk, error, and single, but that would be all the offense for the home team as Lombard settled in for the final four innings. Lombard allowed just two base runners but faced the minimum in the sixth through ninth with the help of two double plays. The Gusties’ ace finished with a line of two runs allowed (one earned) on six hits and five strikeouts, moving into a tie for fifth most single season pitching victories (7) in program history.
Gustavus added an insurance run in the seventh as Pengilly singled, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on a double by Mocchi. The last run was scored in the ninth as Hanson singled, went to second after a walk, third on a double play, and crossed home on a wild pitch.
Mocchi paced the offense, batting 3-for-5 with a run, two RBI, and a double.
Gustavus hosts Carleton in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Saturday to determine who advances to the MIAC playoffs. Both nine-inning games will be played regardless of the outcome of game one.