By Doug Hennes, University of St. Thomas
After Tuesday's close doubleheader losses to Hamline, a struggling St. Thomas baseball team limped into Siebert Field on Wednesday facing a rather considerable task: a game against the Division I Minnesota Gophers.
So how did the 8-13 Tommies fare?
They won handily, 8-3. Second baseman Charles Bruchu, who led the Tommie offense with two doubles and two singles, called it a "big pick-us-up game," and coach Chris Olean saw encouraging signs that the 2011 season can be salvaged.
"The big thing I told them before the game was that yesterday (and the 4-2 and 8-7 losses to Hamline) was over," Olean said "Everybody was upset and angry, but I told them the MIAC is still up for grabs, and that they should have relax and have fun today."
They had a lot of fun, jumping out to a 7-0 lead after four innings. Starter Nick Gervais shut out Minnesota for the first four innings but ran into trouble in the fifth, when the Gophers scored three runs. Junior John Licht took the mound in the sixth and blanked the Gophers over the final four innings.
Olean had used two of his top starters -– Chris Edwards and Tony Eicher -– on Tuesday. He chose Gervais to start against the Gophers because he thought the lanky sophomore from Totino-Grace might stymie them with his assortment of off-speed pitches. It was Gervais' first game since a relief appearance three weeks ago against UW-Stevens Point in Florida.
" I just wanted to keep everything low," said Gervais, whose knuckleball was effective. "I knew if I left anything up to those hitters it would be out of the yard."
Licht Locks in
Licht's last outing was April 2 against Carleton when he lasted only 2 1/3 innings and took the loss. He felt he had better command of his fastball, curve and changeup against the Gophers, giving up only two hits and inducing eight fly balls or infield pop-ups.
"I tried to throw strikes, stay ahead of the hitters, and not leave any balls over the plate," he said. "If I missed, I missed outside."
The Tommies gave Gervais a 1-0 lead in the first, and added four runs in the fourth when nine batters went to the plate. Centerfielder Matt McQuillan led off with a double and scored on a one-out wild pitch. Bruchu hit a double, followed by a RBI-single from catcher J.D. Dorgan and a walk to left fielder Tayler Rahm. First baseman John Means followed with a two-RBI single, and Rahm scored the last run of the inning on a single by shortstop Tim Kahle.
Dorgan, Rahm and Means teamed up for two runs in the fourth to extend the lead to 7-0. Dorgan walked with two outs and Rahm and Means hit back-to-back doubles. The Tommies' final run came when Rahm knocked in right fielder Tim Kuzniar with a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
Three Tommies had multiple hits, led by Bruchu's 4-for-5 day. Dorgan added three singles, and Means had two hits and three RBI.
"Chuck is one of our streakiest hitters," Olean said of Bruchu. "When he's locked in, he's tough to get out. You just let him go after the ball."
It was the second win in three years for the Tommies over Minnesota.
St. Thomas beat Minnesota 6-3 in 2009 at Siebert Field to end a 16-game losing streak to the Division I Gophers. Minnesota won last year's meeting in the Metrodome over UST 5-4 in 12 innings.
Weather permitting, the Toms play Saturday at home against Gustavus in a 1 p.m. conference doubleheader. The Tommies are in fourth place in the MIAC with a 4-4 record.
NOTES: UST had no errors, outhit Minnesota 12-7 and benefitted from six walks. The Gophers (10-13) used seven pitchers on the day. Bruchu is 14-of-25 in his last seven games (.560) and has raised his season average to .420. Dorgan now is 20-for-50 in 17 games to raise his average to .400... Rahm doubled and ran his hitting streak to 11 games... In the fifth inning, McQuillan threw out a runner from center field looking to score on a fly out. McQuillan's double gives him six hits in three career games against the Gophers.
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