MINNEAPOLIS -- Completing one of the most dramatic comebacks in the history of Augsburg College baseball, the Auggies rallied from a 12-1, fifth-inning deficit to score a 13-12, walk-off victory over Hamline University, completing a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader sweep on Thursday evening at Parade Stadium.
Trailing 12-1 entering the bottom of the fifth inning, Augsburg (19-8 overall, 7-3 MIAC) scored 10 runs in the frame, then scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to claim the sweep of Hamline (20-10 overall, 7-7 MIAC), capped when Paul Hallgren (SR, Savage, Minn./Bloomington Jefferson HS) hit a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh, driving home Ryan Sward (JR, Eagan, Minn.).
Augsburg claimed a 3-1 victory in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader, taking advantage of a complete-game victory by pitcherEren Cur (SR, Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS), who struck out four while walking three and allowing just five hits in his third complete game of the season.
Augsburg's dramatic second-game comeback began in the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Auggies sent 15 batters to the plate and scored 10 runs. Nine straight Auggies reached base before the first out of the inning, with 14 straight batters eventually reaching safely. Sward and Adam Carl (JR, Eagan, Minn.) had back-to-back RBI doubles, followed by a two-run single by Hallgren. Zach Pavlisick (SR, Phoenix, Ariz./Central HS), Gary Mariscal (JR, Savage, Minn./Prior Lake HS) and Sward followed later with RBIs, and the Auggies took advantage of two errors late in the inning, a fielding error and a dropped fly ball in the infield, both of which brought home runs.
The Auggies tied the game at 12-12 in the sixth inning, when Brookshaw singled to left field and came across on a double by Pavlisick, coupled with a Piper throwing error.
In the bottom of the seventh, Sward hit a one-out single, and after an infield liner for the second out, Sward stole second base -- just his second stolen base of the season. Hallgren then hit a single to right field, bring home Sward home with the game-winning run, the Auggies' second walk-off win in the last week.
Sward went 4-for-5 in the second game with three runs scored and two RBI, part of a 5-for-8, three-run, three-RBI doubleheader performance. Hallgren went 3-for-5 in the second game with four RBI and a run scored, completing a 4-for-8 doubleheader. Billy Brookshaw (FY, Prescott, Wis.) and Pavlisick had two hits each, part of a 16-hit attack for the Auggies in the second game. Every Auggie hitter had at least one hit and scored at least one run in the second game.
Tyler Beck (JR, Fairmont, Minn.) picked up the pitching win for the Auggies in the second game, throwing 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, striking out three while allowing just two hits. He was the fourth pitcher used in the game by the Auggies.
Hamline opened the second game with a five-run first inning, sending nine batters to the plate. After the Auggies scored a run in the bottom of the first, the Pipers scored two runs in the third inning, three runs in the fourth and two runs in the fifth to build its 12-1 lead.
Dan Ellefson (SR, Burnsville, Minn.) and Jordan Rubbelke (SR, Minot, N.D.) had three hits each for the Pipers in the second game, with Ellefson scoring twice and driving in two runs, and Rubbelke scoring twice and driving in a run, hitting a double and triple. Mark Radmacher (SR, Maplewood, Minn.) had two hits, including a double, two runs scored and two RBI. Dan Moro (FY, Calgary, Alberta) had two hits, including a double, scoring three runs, and Cam Smith (SO, Oakdale, Minn.) and Jordan Buck (SR, Apple Valley, Minn.) had two hits and a run each.
In the first game, the Auggies were paced by the pitching performance from Cur, who had 61 strikes among his 90 pitches in his second complete-game effort in the past week. Cur is now 5-1 with a 2.28 earned-run average, with 27 strikeouts against just 14 walks in 43.1 innings of work. Cur is one of only three MIAC pitchers with five or more wins in overall statistics so far this season, and his 2.28 ERA is third-best among MIAC pitchers in overall statistics.
Hamline struck first in the first game, when Evan Cordell (SO, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) singled and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch in the top of the third inning.
The Auggies took the lead in the bottom of the third. Mariscal singled, moved to second on a single by Brent Kolbow (SR, Forest Lake, Minn.), and came around to score on an RBI single by Gordon Kappers (SO, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS). With two outs, Kolbow was moved to third base on an obstruction ruling on a pickoff attempt, and came around to score on an RBI single by Sward.
Augsburg added another run in the fourth inning, when Louie LaChapelle (SR, Eagan, Minn.) doubled, stole third base and scored on an RBI single by Brookshaw. LaChapelle went 2-for-3 for the Auggies in the first game.
Cordell and Matt Connell (SO, Shell Lake, Wis.) had two hits each for the Pipers in the first game.