DULUTH, Minn. – Sophomore Kyle Flagstad went 6-for-6 and drove in three runs in the sixth-ranked St. Scholastica baseball team's 17-4 victory over Northland College at Wade Stadium on Wednesday night.
A total of 11 Saints have had five hits in a game prior to tonight with last coming from Kyle Wojtysiak in 2008. Flagstad began the game with a leadoff triple to right center in the bottom of the first. In his second at-bat he hit a RBI double to left center in the second inning. He then led off the fourth inning with a single. So, not only was he 3-for-3, but he also needed just one home run for the cycle.
Unfortunately, the home run never came, but Flagstad led off the sixth with a single. Later in the sixth he came up again and hit a shallow fly ball to center where no Northland outfielders could get a glove on it to drive in two more runs. He had one more opportunity at the plate in the eighth to break the record and he would do it with a single to right center to finish 6-for-6 for the night. The NCAA Division III record for hits in a game is eight set in 2009.
In other program record news, Joe Link stole his 37th and 38th base tonight to improve to 38-for-38 on the year and move within two of that CSS single-season record. He now has 82 career stolen bases which are tied for the third-most in program history.
For the rest of the game, the Saints scored at least one run in six of the eight innings, including plating eight runs in the sixth. Kyle Moody and Andy Schwantes both went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in. Kyle Jensen and Brandon Porten also drove in a pair of runs.
Jake Nystrom started his first game of the season for the Saints and struck out three and allowed just one hit in three innings. Jake Snyder would get the victory in relief, going four innings, striking out five and allowing just five hits.
The Saints improve to 29-5 overall and 17-1 in conference play. The LumberJacks fall to 8-24 overall and 1-17 in the UMAC.
The Saints will close out the regular season this weekend with a three-game set against Northwestern College at Wade Stadium. Friday's one game will begin at 6 p.m., while Saturday's doubleheader will start at noon.