Notables
-Kuschke with a career-high five RBIs
-Fourth time in the last five years CSS and Northwestern have met in the championship game
-UNW defeated UWS 7-0 earlier in the day
-Marolt extends reached base streak to 29 games; Minks 26 games
DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh to break open a one-run game and defeat the University of Northwestern 10-3 on Friday to capture its 19th consecutive Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament crown.
Good Start
The first three batters for the Saints reached with Brian Minks delivering a RBI single to bring in Austin Colvard. Steven Neutzling followed with a sacrifice fly to score Al Marolt and make it 2-0 after one inning.
CSS added another run in the bottom of the second when Jake Kuschke doubled to the left-center field gap to bring in Trevor Bernsdorf and extend the lead to 3-0 after two innings.
Northwestern Responds
St. Scholastica starter Daniel Wood did not allow an Eagle hit thru the first two innings, but after one out in the third, a walk followed by back-to-back singles made it 3-1. Then with two outs, former Saint John Hietpas tied with game at 3-3 with a single to right center.
CSS Gets out of Jams
With a runner on first and an out in the top of the fifth, Northwestern's Ryan Sutterer drilled a ball off the left field wall, but A. Colvard played the carom perfectly and the relay would get Sutterer at second base for the second out with a runner at third. CSS then got a ground out to get out of the inning.
The Eagles threatened again in the sixth inning, loading the bases with two outs. However, Isaac Rocha would get a fly out to right field to get out of another jam.
Saints Take the Lead
Conor Wollenzien led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. Two batters later, Chris Olson doubled down the left field line to put runners at second and third. Kuschke then hit a sacrifice fly to left to bring in Wollenzien and give St. Scholastica a 4-3 lead.
St. Scholastica Pulls Away
After the Eagles left two runners on in the seventh, the Saints broke the game open in the bottom frame. Minks had a RBI single to make it 5-3. He later scored on a T. Bernsdorf groundout to extend the lead to 6-3.
The play that really broke the game open was Kuschke's bases loaded two-out double that fell just in front of the diving left fielder to clear the bases and make it 9-3.
Neutzling would hit a RBI triple in the bottom of the eighth to make the final score 10-3 St. Scholastica
Pitching
Wood went four innings and struck out five, but picked up the no decision. Rocha pitched three innings and got out of trouble in each inning to earn his second win this season. Joe Gonrowski pitched a scoreless final two innings.
Big Day for Kuschke
Senior catcher Jake Kuschke went 2-for-3 with a career-high five RBIs. Minks and Neutzling each had a pair of hits and two RBIs.
Up Next:
The Saints (31-9) will find out where they are headed and who they will play in next week's NCAA Division III Tournament either very late Sunday night or very early Monday morning on NCAA.com.