NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College baseball team split a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) twin bill with the University of St. Thomas, downing the Tommies, 3-2, in the first game, and falling, 15-13 in the second game at Mark Almli Field on Saturday afternoon.
After St. Thomas (16-8, 8-3 MIAC) tied the score in the top of the fifth, Luke Dahl hit his second home run of the game in the bottom of the inning to account for the final run and secure the victory for St. Olaf (16-9, 7-5 MIAC).
The Tommies trailed the Oles, 13-12, heading into the final inning of the second game. St. Thomas scored three runs in the top of the ninth to take the lead, and held St. Olaf scoreless in the bottom of the inning to get the win.
St. Olaf 3, St. Thomas 2 | Box Score
Dahl homered to left center field twice in the game and had two of the Oles four hits and all three RBI in the contest, while St. Thomas had seven players left on base in the game.
Matthew Muller added a hit and a run, and Dylan Blake had a hit in the game. Hunter Barber tossed the first six innings of the game to improve his season record to 4-2. Sam Westermeyer recorded his first save of the season as he pitched the final inning of the game.
After both teams were held scoreless in the first inning, Dahl recorded a two-run homerun to put the Oles on top, 2-0.
The Tommies scored in the fourth on a sacrifice fly to cut St. Olaf's lead to one run. In the top of the fifth, St. Thomas evened the score, and the Oles held three runners on base to hold the Tommies to just one run in the inning.
Dahl answered with a homer to left center field and put the Oles on top at 3-2.
The Oles held St. Thomas to no hits in the final two innings and held two St. Thomas runners on base in the top of the seventh to get the victory.
St. Thomas 15, St. Olaf 13 | Box Score
Despite both teams tallying 16 hits in the game, the Tommies scored three runs in the final inning and held St. Olaf scoreless in the bottom of the ninth to get the win.
TJ Rogers led the Oles and was 5-of-5 at bat, along with four RBI and four runs. Dylan Blake added three hits, a run and an RBI, and Andrew Nomoto had a season-high three hits and three runs. Tommy McDonald tallied two hits and five RBI for St. Olaf.
St. Olaf took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning as Blake RBI singled to second base and Rogers crossed home plate.
St. Thomas had two runs on two hits and an error in the second, but the Oles answered in the bottom of the inning with four runs off five hits. Rogers RBI singled up the middle, followed by a two-run single from McDonald to make the score 5-2 heading into the third.
The Tommies cut the Oles' lead to 6-5 heading into the bottom of the fourth, but Ryan Torbenson responded with a triple to center field and scored on an error to extend St. Olaf's lead to 8-5.
After a three-run homer by St. Thomas, in the top of the fifth, the Oles kept a three-run lead as they scored three runs off two hits in the bottom of the inning. McDonald picked up three RBI as he doubled, to extend St. Olaf's lead back to three at 11-8.
The Oles took a 13-9 lead in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single from Rogers, and scored on a wild pitch.
St. Thomas scored three runs in the top of the eighth and came within one of St. Olaf at 13-12. Two Oles were walked in the bottom of the inning, but were left on base.
The Tommies doubled to left center in the top of the ninth to take a 14-13 lead and extended the lead to two runs on an RBI single. St. Olaf had one hit in the bottom of the inning, but were unable to score.
This was St. Olaf's sixth game with 15 or more hits this season.
The Oles return to action on Tuesday, Apr. 23 for a twin bill against cross-town rival Carleton with the first game beginning at 2:30 p.m.