St. Thomas Baseball opened the 2018 MIAC season with a doubleheader split with St. Mary's Tuesday in Mauston, Wis. St. Thomas won the seven-inning game 10-3 but lost 1-0 in the nine-inning nightcap.
The Tommies (6-8 overall, 1-1 MIAC), who ended a 12-day layoff, received 25 strikeouts from five pitchers over 15 innings but were unable to secure the sweep. Three Tommie relievers set down all 13 batters they faced on the day, nine by strikeout.
UST starter Ryan Zimmerman worked into the fifth inning to get the pitching win in game one. Hunter Hart's three-run homer in the first inning led a 13-hit attack. Ben Meyer struck out five of the seven batters he faced in relief.
The Cardinals used Justin Weinberg's RBI double in the first inning to score the lone run in game two, and sophomore Ryan Wolfe recorded a four-hit shutout with one walk and eight strikeouts.
The Toms' Henry DeCaster (six innings), Graham Laubscher and Shaun Falbo combined to strike out 14. DeCaster fanned 10, allowed five hits, two walks and one run. In the three losses for DeCaster (1-3) this season, UST has not scored a runs over the 20 innings he has been in the game, including consecutive 1-0 losses.
In game two, the Toms left the bases loaded in the fifth inning and stranded four runners total in scoring position. Jimmy Dolan was the lone UST player with three hits on the day.
St. Thomas will attempt to play Sunday at home in a makeup doubleheader against Bethel.