Saints Pick Up Third Win of the Season

Mark Williams _ NSO

DAVENPORT, Fla. – The St. Scholastica baseball team captured its second victory of the Russmatt Invitational and third win overall this season with a victory over Lakeland University (WI) today. Led by a four-run fourth inning and a three-run ninth inning, the Saints were able to come away with an 11-5 victory this evening.

How it Happened

Mitchell Novak (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) led off the game in style for the Saints in the top of the first inning, launching his first home run of the season, giving the Saints an early 1-0 lead.

CSS showed its sharpness defensively in the bottom of the first inning, turning a 6-4-3 double play, as well as Matt Forrest (Oakdale, Minn./Hill-Murray HS) picking up his first strikeout of the game.

Jumping to the top of the third inning, Luke Schemenauer (Chippewa Falls, Wis./Chippewa Falls HS) led off the inning with a single, then proceeded to steal second, and gave CSS its second run of the afternoon after scoring on a groundout.

Levi Stubbles (San Bruno, Calif./El Camino HS (Skyline College)) led off the Saints’ half of the fourth inning with a solo home run to extend the Saints led to 3-0. Later in the inning, after Sam Shopbell (Prior Lake, MN/Prior Lake HS (Fayetteville CC)) and Ryan Garlick (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids HS (Iowa Central CC)) reached base, CSS tagged on two more runs on a fielding error by Lakeland to bring its lead to 5-0.

The Saints would add another run in the inning on another Lakeland error, taking a 6-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Muskies would get its first two runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth, with the Saints still in front by a score of 6-2.

In the top of the sixth inning, Shopbell drew a two-out walk, then stole second and third, and would score just a batter later on a passed ball, making the score 7-2 in favor of CSS.

A two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning would give the Muskies its fourth run of the game, with CSS still holding a three-run lead.

Alex Haapajoki (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd HS (Central Lakes)) responded in the top of the eighth inning with a leadoff solo home run to put CSS in the driver’s seat to close out the game leading 8-4.

The Saints would add three more runs in the top of the ninth inning, courtesy of a Jake Schelonka (Sartell, Minn./Sartell HS) sacrifice fly that scored Schemenauer and a two-RBI double by Stubbles that scored both Novak and Mason Boos (Duluth, Minn/Duluth Marshall HS).

Lakeland added one final run in the bottom of the ninth, but the Saints closed out tonight’s game with a decisive 11-5 victory over the Muskies.