By
DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota baseball team made good on the old adage, "better late than never," in the opening game of their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader against Carleton Wednesday.
The Cardinals scored all three of their runs with two outs — including a game-winning single by
Hunter Gustafson (Webster, Wis.) in the top of the seventh inning to break a 2-2 tie and lead Saint Mary's to a 3-2 victory at Mel Taube Field.
Saint Mary's would add yet another two-out run to open the scoring in the nightcap, before plating a pair of one-out runs in the sixth and eighth innings en route to a 3-1, sweep-clinching victory in the nightcap.
"Our pitchers did a phenomenal job today," said Saint Mary's coach
Nick Winecke. "Offensively, we hit a lot of balls hard — they were just at people. It really was one of those days that was tough to play — we played hard, but the game didn't come easy. Everything was a challenge, and, fortunately, we found a way to get two wins.
"Tip your cap to Carleton, they certainly didn't make it easy for us."
After failing to converted on a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the first inning of Game 1, the Cardinals' two-out-clutch-hit parade got underway in the second, as
Zach Drake (Westby, Wis.) drew a two-out walk, and
Justin Weinberg (Eagan, Minn.) laced a single through the left side to plate the game's first run.
Saint Mary's collected another clutch, two-out hit in the third, when
Joey Costello (Victoria, Minn.) delivered a single to right, scoring
Andy Tepp (Stevens Point, Wis.), who had opened the frame with a single to left.
The Knights took a page out of the Cardinals' playbook in both the third and fifth innings — getting a pair of two-out RBI singles from Wilson Battle — to pull Carleton even, 2-2.
And set up Gustafson's seventh-inning heroics.
Tepp was hit by a pitch to lead off the seventh for the Cardinals, and, after a pop-out to short right,
Brandon Hafemann (Milwaukee, Wis.) and Gustafson both delivered two-out singles — Gustafson's scoring Tepp — to give the Cardinals' the lead, 3-2.
Carleton threatened in the bottom of the seventh, as Zane Johan drew an inning-opening walk off Saint Mary's reliever Kody Kiel (Owatonna, Minn.) and was quickly sacrificed to second. After a fly-out to left, and an intentional walk to Battle,
Tyler Stilp (Lindstrom, Minn.) came on to get Brendon Fischel to ground out to seal the Cardinal win.
Weinberg and
Matthew Piechowski (Hutchinson, Minn.) each recorded two hits to pace the Cardinals' nine-hit offensive attack, while
Ryan Wolfe (Wabasha, Minn.) picked up the pitching win, limiting the Knights to two runs — one earned — on seven hits, while striking out five and not walking a batter.
Liam Belleveau (Middleton, Wis.) gave the Cardinals the early lead in the nightcap lacing a (what else?) two-out, run-scoring triple in the third to pus Saint Mary's ahead 1-0.
Will Matthews (Geneva, Ill.) led off the sixth with a stand-up double, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Gustafson RBI single to left — the Cardinals first run-scoring hit with less than two outs.
Trailing by two for the second straight contest, Carleton again responded, making the Cardinals pay for a lead-off walk in the bottom of the sixth, scoring on a sacrifice fly to cut Saint Mary's lead in half, 2-1.
The Cardinals iced the win in the eighth, as Piechowski opened the inning with a double to deep left to chase Carleton starter Owen Riley. Piechowski moved to second on a wild pitch by reliever Peter Hoffman, and Matthews followed with an RBI single to push the Saint Mary's advantage to 3-1.
Weinberg, Matthews, and Gustafson all finished with two hits to account for six of the Cardinals' eight Game 2 hits, while Piechowski and Belleveau had the other two.
Eli Morison (Minneapolis, Minn.) picked up the win on the mound, throwing six innings one-run, two-hit ball.
Jake Kramlinger (White Bear Lake, Minn.) pitched two innings of scoreless, one-hit relief, before giving way to Stilp, who notched his second save of the afternoon with a one-hit ninth.
The Cardinals (3-1 MIAC, 11-9 overall) kick off the home portion of their 2019 schedule on Saturday, entertaining St. Olaf in a 1 p.m. MIAC twinbill at Max Molock Field.
