Minneapolis – The Gustavus Adolphus baseball team suffered a sweep at the hands of UW-Stevens Point by the final scores of 10-6 and 14-5 in a doubleheader on Sunday night at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The Pointers used big innings in both games to capture the wins. Gustavus falls to 0-4 on the year while UW-Stevens Point opens its season 2-0.
Game 1 – Gustavus 6, UW-Stevens Point 10
The Pointers used a six-run second inning to open up an early lead in the first game of the doubleheader. With two outs and runners on first and second, Bobby Gregorich was awarded first base after being hit by a pitch to load the bases. An RBI single from Dan Douglas, a 3-RBI single from Schilter, and a two-run home run by Sean Gerber completed the Pointers’ two-out rally to the take the 6-0 lead.
Gustavus was able to narrow the gap with a four-run fourth inning by way of another two-out rally. The Gusties rattled off five straight hits, the last of which was a 3-RBI triple from Christopher Kelly (So., Savage, Minn.), to narrow the score to 6-4.
However, UW-Stevens Point came back to score three runs in the bottom of the fifth and one more in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the game out of reach for the Gusties. Gustavus was able to score two runs in the top of the seventh, but it was too little too late for the Black and Gold, as the final score showed 10-6 in favor of the Pointers.
Scott Benjamin (Jr., Northfield, Minn.) and Max Fidler (So., Lino Lakes, Minn.) led the way offensively for the Gusties in game one. Each went 2-for-3 from the plate and scored a run. Christopher Kelly was 1-for-2 with 3 RBI and a triple in the game.
For UW-Stevens Point, Sean Gerber went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, and two RBI to lead the way at the plate. Ryan Schilter followed with a 2-for-4 and 3 RBI performance.
Game one’s winning pitcher was Brad Stroik for UW-Stevens Point, while Gustavus’ Grant Soderburg (So., Eden Prairie, Minn.) suffered his second loss of the season.
Game 2 – Gustavus 5, UW-Stevens Point 14
UW-Stevens Point jumped out to an early lead once again in game two on Sunday. The Pointers scored two runs in the top of the first, but the Gusties came right back to answer with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to tie the score at 2-2.
Gustavus took its first lead of the night in the bottom of the second inning when it scored two runs to go ahead 4-2. Max Fidler led things off with a double down the right field line. He later scored on a Scott Benjamin single. Sam Warner (Fr., Chanhassen, Minn.), who had walked earlier in the inning, came around to score on an RBI single to left center by Joe Melles (Fr., Hopkins, Minn.) and Gusties headed to the third in front by two runs.
The Pointers answered with a score in the top of the third before exploding for eight runs in the top of the fourth to take an 11-4 lead. UW-Stevens Point tallied five hits, four of which were singles, and left one man on base in the inning.
UW-Stevens Point followed up with three more runs in the top of the sixth to cap its scoring for the night. Gustavus was able to score one run in the bottom of the seventh to bring the final score to 14-5 in favor of the Pointers.
Joe Melles led the way from the batter’s box for the Gusties, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in the contest. Max Fidler followed with a 1-for-2 outing and scored a run as well.
Harry Steldt went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored to lead to way for UW-Stevens Point. Sean Gerber followed with a 1-for-2 effort that included two walks and three runs scored. Casey Barnes added a 2-for-5 game at the plate coupled with two RBI and two runs scored.
Tyler Flood pitched three and two-thirds innings without giving up a run to record the win for UW-Stevens Point. Connor Norris (Sr., Omaha, Neb.) suffered the loss for the Gusties.