Saints Split with Crown

NSO – Dave Edwards

CULVER, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team began Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) action on Saturday and after dropping the opener 5-4 in extra innings, rolled to an 8-0 victory in game two to split with Crown College.

Game 1: Crown 5, CSS 4 (F/10)
The Storm (8-16, 1-1 UMAC) had a bases loaded, two-out single in the bottom of the 10th to hand the Saints a 5-4 loss in the opener.

Crown jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first on a three-run home run. Mitchell Olson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) got the Saints on the board with a solo home run in the fourth to make it 3-1. After the Storm stranded a runner at third in the sixth, Cody Venske (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) cut the margin to 3-2 with a RBI single to plate Jake Schelonka (Sartell, Minn./Sartell HS).

Crown got that run back in the bottom frame, scoring on a two-out error to make it 4-2. Olson scored for the Saints in the eighth on a wild pitch to make it a one-run game once again. After the Storm went down in order in the bottom of the eighth, Venske led off the ninth with a home run to tie the game at 4-4.

The contest went to extra innings and after CSS went down in order in the top of the 10th, the Storm loaded the bases with two outs and got a single to bring in the game-winning run for a final of 5-4.

Dallas Miller (Monticello, Minn./Big Lake HS) matched his career-high from his last start with 12 strikeouts in the no-decision. Bryce Huffman (Proctor, Minn./Proctor HS) and Cody Venske (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) each had a pair of hits to lead the Saints offense.

Game 2: CSS 8, Crown 0
The Saints scored eight runs in the first three innings and that is all they needed in the 8-0 game two victory to gain the split.

Matt Tautges (Fort Ripley, Minn./Pierz HS) scored on a wild pitch in the first to open the scoring. Luke Schemenauer (Chippewa Falls, Wis./Chippewa Falls HS), Tautges and Kam Larson (Chaska, Minn./Chaska HS) all scored on errors in the second to extend the lead to 4-0. Riley Ahrndt (Sartell, Minn./Sartell HS) and Tautges drew bases loaded walks in the third. Also, Mitchell Novak (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) had a sacrifice fly and Olson a RBI groundout in the third to make it 8-0.

Meanwhile, Grant Taival (Stillwater, Minn./Mahtomedi HS) scattered just two hits over the first four innings, while striking out three. From there it was pitcher-by-committee with Jerry Gooley (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS), T.J. Martin (Minneapolis, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels), Chase Bredl (Eau Claire, Wis./Eau Claire Memorial HS), Wes Kemming (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) and Grant Merger all pitching scoreless innings to preserve the shutout for the Saints. The CSS pitching staff surrendered only one hit over the final five innings.

Tautges had two hits, two RBIs and also scored twice. Schelonka also recorded a pair of hits in the game two win.

Up Next
The Saints (5-3, 1-1 UMAC) will be on the road again next Saturday where they will face the University of Northwestern (Minn.). The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.