ST. PETER, Minn. - On a perfect day for baseball, the Saint Mary's baseball team (20-15) traveled to St. Peter, Minnesota to face the 19th-ranked Gustavus Adolphus Gusties (28-7), where they bounced back in game two to earn a conference split—dropping the opener 5-2 before surging to an 11-6 win in the second game.
GAME ONE
Riley Bauman contributed in many ways with three hits and scored the two runs for the Cardinals.
Pitcher
Connor Tulley completed a full game on the mound.
In the fourth inning, it was Saint Mary's who opened the scoring when Bauman singled and stole second, setting the stage for
Brinton Anderson's RBI double to left center, bringing Bauman home.
Gustavus responded in the bottom of the inning tying the game 1–1.
The Gusties took control in the fifth inning, beginning with a solo home then a series of miscommunication from the Cardinals put the Gusties ahead to 5–1.
The Cardinals added a run in the sixth but it wasn't enough as they would fall in game one.
GAME TWO
The Cardinals faced Gustavus Adolphus in a competitive matchup but they used a balanced offensive attack, scoring in four separate innings, including a three-run second and another three-run eighth to take down the ranked Gusties.
In the second inning, the Cardinals took the lead with a series of hits and strategic plays, highlighted by
Daniel Sherman's and
Alex Hanneman's RBI singles, giving them a 3-1 advantage.
Gustavus Adolphus responded in the same inning with a solo home run bringing the score to 3-2.
The fifth inning witnessed the Cardinals extending their lead with three big runs putting the Cardinals ahead 6-4.
In the sixth inning, the Cardinals added two more runs.
Josh Costello scored on Anderson's single, and Bauman crossed the plate on a sacrifice bunt by
Will Boeckman, increasing their lead to 8-6.
It did not stop there! The Cardinals offense surged again in the eighth inning after a three-run home run by Sherman brought home Bauman and Anderson, widening the margin to 11-6.
With today's series split, the Cardinals remain in contention for a playoff berth.
The team returns to action tomorrow with a single non conference matchup against UW-Superior, hosting the rescheduled game from March at 2:00 p.m.
