Westermeyer pitches St. Olaf to first win in split in Waverly

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WAVERLY, Iowa – The St. Olaf College baseball team picked up its first win of the season with a 7-2 victory in game two after Wartburg College took game one, 4-3, in extra innings on Sunday afternoon at Harms Stadium at Hertel Field.

In the opener, sophomore Joey Glampe followed a double by fifth-year senior Matthew Muller with a one of his own to give St. Olaf (1-2) a 3-2 lead in the eighth, but Wartburg (8-7) scored twice in the home half of the inning to claim a walk-off, extra-inning win. In game two, senior Sam Westermeyer struck out seven over five strong innings and Muller broke a 1-1 tie with a bases-clearing, three-run double in the fifth to lead the Oles to their first victory of the spring.

Wartburg 4, St. Olaf 3 (8 inn.) | Box Score

With the score locked at 2-2, Muller and Glampe started the top of the eighth with back-to-back doubles to give St. Olaf a 3-2 lead, but all five Wartburg hitters to come to the plate in the bottom of the inning reached base as the Knights claimed the walk-off win. Muller and Glampe's doubles were two of just three hits in the game for the Oles.

St. Olaf jumped out to a 2-0 lead by scoring twice in the top of the third, capitalizing on two Wartburg errors in the inning to take the lead. First year Justin Isaacson reached on a two-bases error to start the inning, moved to third on a fielder's choice, and scored on a single to right by sophomore Brian Nevin. An error following Nevin's single allowed sophomore Jack Fochtman to get to third and first year Evan Hammonds brought him in with a ground ball for the second run of the inning.

The Oles' lead did not last long, as the Knights tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run home run by Zach Walton following a leadoff walk. The long ball was one of just two hits surrendered by sophomore Sam Lavin, who struck out four in four innings of two-run ball.

The Knights threatened to win the game in the bottom of the seventh, putting a runner on third with one out, but first year Jacob Fickenscher got a pair of pop ups get out of the inning. Fickenscher struck out five over three innings of work in his collegiate debut before Wartburg got to him in the eighth with a hit batter and four-straight singles.

Darren Kilpatrick held St. Olaf to just one hit in five innings for the Knights, striking out two and allowing two runs (one earned) before settling for a no-decision. Aaron Eybers earned the win in relief after allowing one run on two hits in three innings out of the bullpen.

St. Olaf 7, Wartburg 2 | Box Score

After mustering just five hits in the first two games of the weekend, St. Olaf had 11 hits in game two, as the Oles' 1-5 hitters combined to go 9-for-18 with six runs and six RBI. Muller delivered the big hit of the game, clearing the bases with a two-out double to the gap in left center to break a 1-1 tie.

In his first start of the season, Westermeyer improved to 11-4 in his career by holding the Knights to two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in five innings. Sophomores Derek Hansen and Will Wamre each threw a scoreless inning in relief, giving up just one hit with three strikeouts.

After Wartburg took a 1-0 lead in the third, first year Jack Alley plated Muller with a ground out for his first-career RBI in the fourth after Muller started the inning with a double to left. The Oles broke the tie in the top of the fifth on Muller's two-out, three-run double that scored first year Cameron Hammonds, sophomore Sean Goldman, and sophomore Joey Glampe. Hammonds and Goldman both singled in the inning before Glampe drew a walk to set up Muller.

The Knights got an unearned run off of Westermeyer in the next half inning but did not score after that. The Oles added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh with a five-hit inning that also included two Wartburg errors.

Goldman led off the inning with a single for his third hit of the game and scored on an errant throw following a single by Lavin to make it 6-2. Glampe followed with an RBI single to bring in Lavin for the final run of the game. In his first-career game as a non-pitcher, Goldman reached base all four times, going 3-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and two runs scored.

St. Olaf embarks on a nine-game trip to Florida over Spring Break, beginning with a doubleheader against Keuka College on Thursday, March 24. First pitch is slated for 10 a.m. CDT.