March 23, 2014

Pipers Split With Williams

More news about: Hamline

A day's rest did little to cool down Hamline's hot baseball hitters. The Pipers went over the 100 mark for the season in runs scored with 28 more int two games against Williams Sunday in Tucson, AZ. 

The Eephs, who were playing their first games of 2014, did some impressive swinging in their own right and earned a split of the Sunday twinbill. HU dropped the opener, 20-14, but came from behind to claim a 14-7 win in the second game.

Evan Cordell had a day to remember, slapping out seven hits in 10 at bats to raise his batting average 85 points to an impressive .556. Matt Connell, who also took a turn poitching, also had a good day at the plate, going 4-for-7. He is now hitting .515 for the young season.

The first inning of the first game gave one a hint what kind of it might be. Williams scored four runs in the top of the first and the Pipers matched it in the bottom of the inning. 

Both teams kept attacking the ball so relentlessly that there was just one half frame (the Hamline second) when no runs were scored. 

Cordell had a double, four singles, scored twice and knocked in four runs to lead a 13-hit attack. Chris Zeller was on base five times (three hits, a walk, a hit by pitch), scored twice and drove in five runs. HU made things a bit dicey at the end, loading the bases in the seventh inning before finally giving way. 

Connell made his first pitching start of the season in the nightcap. Hamline took advantage of wildness on the part of Williams' pitchers (nine walks, five hit batters for the game) to forge an early 3-0 lead in the second inning. The Eephs responded in kind in the bottom of the frame but HU struck for three more in the third with Conell's two RBI single being a big blow. 

Williams came back with four in the fifth for a 7-6 lead only to see the Pipers strike back with three in the sixth. Colin Olstad, who was 3-for-4 with three RBI, contributed a two RBI double for the big blow.

At that point, Rob Miller, who had relieved Connell in the fifth inning, quieted the Williams bats, retiring seven batters in a row at one point. HU added five final inning runs to clinch the verdict. Miller pitched 2.2 innings to gain the win. 

Hamline is now 5-2 on the season. They have three games remain in Arizona. They meet Oberlin in a doubleheader Monday and play a single, nine-inning game against Buena Vista Tuesday before returning to Minnesota.