Senior relief pitchers Jacob Nelson and Tommy Danczyk combined for four scoreless innings in game two as No. 13-ranked St. Thomas took a 4-3 win over St. Olaf and capped a doubleheader sweep. UST won the first game by the same 4-3 score.
Senior Tim Kuzniar had three hits, two walks, and a sacrifice fly on the day in seven plate appearances for the Tommies (21-5 overall, 10-0 MIAC). The winners ran their season victory streak to 12 and their home-field win streak to 51.
UST has posted six one-run wins in its 10-0 MIAC start. It reached the halfway point in the 20-game chase with a two-game lead on second-place Bethel (7-1) as it bids for its 12th consecutive conference championship.
St. Olaf (17-11, 8-4) had won nine of its previous 11 games.
The Tommies never trailed on the day but saw one big inning in each game erase 3-0 leads and create some tense moments for the home fans. Danczyk got six outs on the day, three by strikeout, and recorded a save in each game. He now has six saves on the season.
In game one, UST turned four double plays and also had a strikeout/throw out double play in the seventh inning. The Oles scored three runs after two were out in the fifth inning on no hits, two errors and four walks. Greg Clute worked 1 1-3 innings and took the win as he escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth. Freshman Logan Borg slapped a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning to break the 3-3 tie. That hit scored Kuzniar, who had walked, took second on a wild pitch, and took third on a ground out.
Tim Maus' bases-loaded double down the left-field line in game two drove in the Oles' three runs and erased a 3-0 UST lead.
After Maus' hit, Nelson came on to pitch with the tying run on second base and none out in the sixth inning with the score tied 3-3. He retired all nine batters he faced and took the pitching victory. Danczyk allowed Dylan Porter's one-out double in the top of the ninth inning but got a strikeout and ground out to strand the tying run.
For the Tommies, Jack Hogan had a sac fly and an RBI single for two RBI in the opener, and Ben Podobinski had four hits on the day to reach 42 hits in 26 games this season.
Kuzniar now has 194 hits as he continues his quest to become the 10th conference player to reach 200 hits.
UST is home Saturday to play two against Concordia-Moorhead.