Moorhead, Minn. – Despite dropping its first contest of the afternoon by the score of 11-1, the Gustavus baseball team bounce back with a 5-3 win in game two to salvage a split on the road against Concordia on Wednesday afternoon. Gustavus is now 11-12 overall and 4-6 in MIAC play, while the Cobbers move to 13-14 overall and 5-7 in the MIAC.
Game One – Concordia used a big sixth inning to propel them to an 11-1 win over Gustavus in the day’s opening contest. The Gustavus offense managed one run on six hits. The lone Gustie run came on a Drew Block (Rochester, Minn.) solo home run in the top of the fourth inning. The home run was Block’s first of the season and the third of his career.
Sophomore Scott Benjamin (Northfield, Minn.) was 2-for-3 from the plate and is now hitting .327 this season. Freshman pitcher Chris Kelly (Prior Lake, Minn.) threw four innings, giving up five runs on eight Cobber hits while striking out five hitters. Kelly moves to 1-3 in six appearances this season. Max Fidler (Lino Lakes, Minn.) and Michael Strelow (Braham, Minn.) each made their first pitching appearance this season. Fidler faced one batter recording an out, and Strelow pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs on one hit while striking out one and walking one.
Game Two – Game two of Wednesday’s doubleheader was a different story for Gustavus. The Gusties recorded five runs on ten hits, while only striking out twice.
Gustavus jumped out of the gates immediately in the first inning. Drew Block hit his second home run of the day, a two-run shot down the right-field line to score Erik Sveen (Excelsior, Minn.). Block finished the game 3-for-3 with a walk, two doubles, a home run, two runs, and two RBI.
After a Concordia run in the bottom of the second inning, Gustavus added two more runs in the top of the third. Block continued tear the ball with a double to right-center field to put runners on second and third base for Kevin Roth (Richfield, Minn.). Roth grounded out to second base, scoring Michael Holbrook (St. Cloud, Minn.) from third and advancing Block to third base. A sacrifice fly to center field by Tim Miller (Eden Prairie, Minn.) plated Block to close out the scoring and give the Gusties a 4-1 lead.
Gustavus added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning on a Boyden Lee (Fergus Falls, Minn.) double to left field that scored Chris Kelly from third base. Kelly led off the seventh with a double down the right field line.
Gustavus starter Logan Peymann (Fairmont, Minn.) picked up the first win of his career in a Gustie uniform. Peymann pitched a complete game, spreading out ten Cobber hits over seven innings, giving up three runs and striking out three. Peymann is now 1-1 on the season. Concordia left a total of 12 runners on base in game two.
The Gustavus baseball team will be back on the road this weekend when it travels to St. Paul on Saturday, April 21 to take on Hamline in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.