Notables
-CSS receives automatic qualifier into next week's NCAA Division III Tournament
-CSS sets single-season home wins record (17-0)
-Duex was 8-for-10 with a 1.500 slugging pct. in the tournament
-Saints outscore UMAC Tournament teams 30-3 in the three games
DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – Grant Rindal pitched seven scoreless innings and Tyler Duex was 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the St. Scholastica baseball team to its 20th consecutive Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament championship on Saturday with an 8-0 victory over Bethany Lutheran College at Wade Stadium.
The Action
Following back-to-back groundouts to begin the game, the Vikings attempted a two-out rally with back-to-back singles. However, Rindal recorded the first of his six strikeouts on the afternoon to get out of the jam.
In the bottom frame, Duex continued to swing a hot stick with a one out double. Following a misplayed fly ball, Steven Nuetzling drove in Duex with a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.
It was Duex again in the third inning delivering with a another one-out double, this time brining in Drew Colvard, who went on the pitch from first base, to extend the lead to 2-0. Later in the inning, after just missing a home run on a ball that hooked right of the foul pole, Conor Wollenzien ripped a RBI single to right field to bring in Duex and make it 3-0.
St. Scholastica doubled that margin in the sixth. Colvard had a RBI single to plate Riley Bernsdorf. That was followed by a Joey Zwak RBI single to score Eric Pearson. The final run of the inning came on a Duex RBI single as the score read 6-0.
Brian Minks hit a two-out, bases loaded ground-rule double in the eighth to complete the scoring and make the final 8-0.
Pitching
Rindal had one of his best starts of the season, striking out six, while scattering six hits and not allowing a walk. Isaac Rocha struck out two in 1.1 innings and Jake Turner completed the final two outs for the Saints. That was St. Scholastica's 10th shutout of the season. The Saints held opponents to only three runs in the UMAC Tournament, which ties a program record for the fewest runs allowed in a UMAC Tournament. (2000)
Top Offensive Performers
Duex was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Duex was 8-for-10 in the tournament with two doubles, a triple and an inside-the-park home run. Zwak, Pearson and Colvard each added two hits on the afternoon. Pearson led the team with seven RBIs in the tournament.
Up Next
The Saints (32-8) will find out where they are headed for the NCAA Division III Tournament at some point late Sunday night, early Monday morning. Be sure to check either NCAA.com or csssaints.com for the latest on the national tournament field.