SAINT PETER, Minn. - The Gustavus baseball team opened its conference schedule Friday with a sweep over Augsburg, winning in convincing fashion 7-0 and 15-1. The Gusties improve to 10-5 overall and 2-0 in the MIAC. 

Gustavus 7, Augsburg 0

Reigning MIAC Pitcher of the Year Mitch Casperson started off the league schedule with a dominant performance, tossing a seven-inning shutout with a career-high 12 strikeouts. Casperson allowed just three hits in the game, faced 26 batters, and only one runner reached second base. 

The Gusties wasted no time getting on the board, scoring a pair of runs in the first. Drake Siens singled and scored on a double by Gavin Baker. Chris Knowles reached on a fielder's choice and later scored on a double by Brady Schmitz. 

Gustavus went up 5-0 in the second. Brayden Kohls led off with a double and scored on a base hit by Sam Schneider. Three batters later, Baker hit a sac fly to score Schneider. Knowles then hit a double to left center, scoring Bryce Novak who reached on a single. 

The Gusties plated the final two runs in the fifth as Danny Gavin walked and scored on a double by Kohls. Kohls later scored on a single by Baker. 

Baker paced the Gusties at the plate, batting 3-for-3 with three RBI, a double, and a sacrifice. 

Gustavus 15, Augsburg 1 (8 inn.)

After two scoreless innings, the Gusties took a 3-0 lead in the third. Baker hit a sac fly to score Novak, and Knowles followed with a two-run home run - his sixth of the season - extending his hitting streak to a program record 27 games. 

The Auggies scored their lone run of the day in the bottom half after a pair of hits, a walk, and a sac fly. 

Gustavus answered with two more runs in the fourth as Schmitz and Kohls scored on a single by Casperson. The score increased to 8-1 in the fifth after an RBI double by Kohls and an RBI single by Novak. 

Gustie starter Adam Biewen had another quality start, earning the win after six innings of work. Biewen allowed just one run on three hits with six strikeouts, improving to 2-1 on the season. 

Novak plated another run in the seventh with his third hit of the game. Novak extended his hitting streak to 15 games to start the season and is now eight hits shy of surpassing Tony Konicek '08 for the program record in career hits, which has stood at 228 since 2008. 

The game was put well out of reach in the eighth as the Gusties scored six runs on six hits, highlighted by a pinch-hit grand slam by Dylan Kopesky, pinch-hit solo homer by Joe Burns, and a pinch-hit RBI double by Isaiah Hasz. 

Kohls led the team at the plate, batting 4-for-5 with three runs, a double, and an RBI. Benny Mcdonald and Ben Anderson finished up the game on the mound, each tossing a scoreless inning. 

Gustavus is back in action Wednesday at home with a non-conference doubleheader against No. 9 nationally-ranked UW-La Crosse. 
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