WINONA, Minn. – After dropping the first game by a 3-2 score, the St. Olaf College baseball team bounced back for a 13-2 victory in game two to gain a split against Saint Mary's University (Minn.) in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) action on Saturday at Max Molock Field.
The game one loss was the first in MIAC play this season for St. Olaf (14-5, 5-1 MIAC), but the Oles rebounded by getting five multi-hit performances in game two against Saint Mary's (12-10, 4-2 MIAC). St. Olaf's 5-1 mark in the MIAC marks its best start to conference play since the 2011 team also won five of its first six MIAC games.
Saint Mary's 3, St. Olaf 2 (7 inn.) | Box Score
In the opener, Saint Mary's used single runs in the first three innings to build a 3-0 lead. Senior Sam Stuckmayer hit a two-run home run, his first of the season, to bring the Oles within a run in the sixth, but the Cardinals held on for the one-run victory.
The Cardinals scored in their first two innings at the plate on RBI singles by Will Matthews and Justin Weinberg. The hosts added a run in the third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Dirk Drohner.
James Green, who entered the game tied for the MIAC lead in strikeouts, held St. Olaf in check until Stuckmayer followed a Sam Pressman single with one out in the sixth with his first home run of the season.
The Oles threatened to tie the game in their final at bat, as TJ Rogers got hit by a pitch with one out in the seventh and stole two bases to get to third with two outs. Kodey Kiel earned his fourth save of the season by stranding Rogers 90 feet away.
Green moved to 4-0 on the season with six innings of two-run ball, allowing five hits and three walks with six strikeouts. Hunter Barber suffered his first loss, falling to 3-1 despite allowing just one earned run on seven hits through a six-inning complete game.
St. Olaf 13, Saint Mary's 2 | Box Score
Rogers and Matthew Muller had three hits apiece, while Pressman, Stuckmayer and Dylan Blake each had a pair of base hits for St. Olaf, which posted its ninth game of the season with at least 10 hits.
Muller reached base five times, going 3-for-4 with two walks, three runs and an RBI. Blake was 2-for-4 with two walks, a double, a home run, three runs and three RBI, while Stuckmayer also drove in three runs to finish the day with five.
First year Sam Westermeyer improved to 4-0 on the season with seven innings of two-run ball, limiting the Cardinals to seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts. Junior Ben Arndt held Saint Mary's scoreless over the final two frames.
Already leading 1-0, St. Olaf stretched its lead to 5-0 with a four-run third, scoring all four runs with two outs. After a Pressman triple drove in Blake for the first run of the inning, Stuckmayer singled in Pressman and Jake Ossell added a two-run single later in the frame.
The Oles tacked on two in the sixth on an RBI single by Muller followed by a RBI double by Blake. After Westermeyer held them in check through five innings, the Cardinals got on the board in the sixth with a pair of runs.
Stuckmayer completed his five-RBI day with a two-run double in the eighth before St. Olaf hit a pair of home runs in the ninth to cap the 13-2 win. Blake hit a two-run shot for his first home run of the season and Ryan Torbenson added a solo shot two batters later for his second long ball of the week.
Next up for the Oles is a single game against NCAA Division II opponent Concordia University-St. Paul at home on Thursday, Apr. 11 at 3:30 p.m.