Notables
-CSS extends win streak to five games
-Neutzling hit for the cycle for the day, going 6-for-10 with three RBIs.
-R. Bernsdorf was 4-for-9 with three RBIs on the day
-Both games combine to go seven hours, 29 minutes
-CSS goes 5-1 against the top three projected WIAC teams
DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team finished up its stretch against Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) schools by sweeping 11th-ranked University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Sunday at Wade Stadium.
Game 1: CSS 6, UWL 5 (F/12)
It was a battle of aces to open the day, but it would be late-game heroics by CSS for the second consecutive day to pull out the 6-5 victory in 12 innings.
The Eagles scored four runs early off of St. Scholastica's Martin Alcoverde and led 4-1 thru four innings of play. Conor Wollenzien recorded an RBI in the first inning for the Saints.
After another Wollenzien RBI single in the fifth made it 4-2, August Anderson got out of trouble in the top of the seventh, getting a ground out to end the inning with runners at second and third.
In the bottom frame, Tyler Duex led off with a walk. Following a sacrifice, Steven Neutzling stepped to the plate and on the first pitch he saw, sent the ball over the centerfield wall to tie the contest at 4-4. It was Neutzling's sixth homer of the season.
La Crosse responded in the top of the eighth with a solo home run of its own to regain the lead at 5-4. However, the Saints continued to fight back as Tim Munn led off the bottom of the eighth with a single to left, which got through the left fielder's legs and rolled to wall allowing Munn to advance all the way to third. Trevor Bernsdorf followed with a RBI single to once again tie the contest at 5-5.
The game went to extra innings, which was St. Scholastica's third extra-inning game in the last four contests. The Eagles had runners at first and second with one out in the 10th, but a lineout double play to Duex ended that threat. CSS had runners at second and third with one out in the bottom of the 10th, but a line out to a drawn in infield, followed by a strikeout extended the contest.
Moving on to the 12th inning, catcher Riley Bernsdorf made a great play in the top half by picking off the runner at first base following a leadoff single. He then led off the bottom half and proceeded to connect on a 2-0 pitch that cleared the centerfield wall for a walk-off home run to give the Saints the 6-5 victory. For Bernsdorf, it was his first home run of the season.
Joe Gonrowski earned the win in relief, scattering three hits in four innings. Sam Sorenson also had a solid outing in relief, allowing just one hit in three innings.
Neutzling finished 4-for-6 with a home run, a triple and two RBIs. Wollenzien was 3-for-5 with two RBIs. CSS out-hit La Crosse 15-12.
Game 2: CSS 10, UWL 7
The nightcap would be a damp affair which caused many issues, mostly from a pitching standpoint. With rain falling the entire contest the Saints had a three-run lead erased and then rallied from two runs down to finish off the sweep 10-7.
The Eagles struck first thanks to a pair of two-out infield singles in the second to take a 1-0 lead. It remained 1-0 until the bottom of the third when Joey Zwak reached on an error to begin the frame. He later came around to score on a Brian Minks RBI groundout to tie the contest. In that same inning, a pair of doubles by Neutzling and R. Bernsdorf sandwiched around a Wollenzien walk gave St. Scholastica a 3-1 lead.
La Crosse cut the lead in half with a solo home run in the fourth, but again the Saints had an answer. Drew Colvard led off the bottom of the fourth with a triple. Zwak then brought him in with a single. Later in the inning Neutzling drove in Zwak with a two-out single to extend the CSS lead to 5-2.
The Saints got into some control issues in the fifth and also committed an error which led to four Eagle runs as La Crosse re-took the lead 6-5. CSS had a walk, two wild pitches and a hit batter in the inning.
After the Eagles (10-5) extended their lead to 7-5 in the top of the sixth, the Saints took advantage of Eagle control issues in the bottom frame. An infield fly that dropped in play and two walks loaded the bases with one out. Munn would wear the first pitch he saw to drive in Minks. On the very next pitch, Neutzling came in to score on a wild pitch to tie the game. After another walk loaded the bases, Colvard ripped a two-run single to left to give the Saints a 9-7 lead.
Duex made it 10-7 with a RBI triple in the eighth and the Saints bullpen held it from there to complete the sweep 10-7.
Matt Hanson earned his first collegiate win in relief, not allowing a hit in 1.1 innings. Isaac Rocha picked up the save, going the final 2.1 innings, without allowing a hit and striking out four. Jacob Dzubay got the start and scattered six hits in four innings.
R. Bernsdorf was 3-for-3 with two RBIs to finish off a solid day. Neutzling was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Colvard had two hits and two RBIs. Zwak finished with three runs scored. The Saints again out-hit the Eagles 13-9.
Up Next
The Saints (11-6) will next be in action on Saturday when they open Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play with a doubleheader against the University of Minnesota Morris. The first game is scheduled to begin at Noon at Wade Stadium.