TUCSON, Ariz. - After scoring 34 runs in its season-opening doubleheader last week, the Gustavus baseball team continued to swing a hot bat Monday by sweeping Concordia-Wisconsin 9-4 and 17-4 to start the Tucson Invitational. The Gusties, now 4-0 this season, collected 24 hits in the doubleheader. 

Gustavus 9, Concordia-Wisconsin 4

The Gusties wasted little time scoring in game one as Drake Siens walked and scored on a triple by Chris Knowles in the first inning. Another run was added in the second as Sam Schneider reached on an error and later scored on a bases-loaded walk by Gavin Baker. 

The Falcons tied the score in the bottom half of the second after an RBI double followed by and RBI single, but the Gusties regained the lead for good in the fourth. Baker singled home Bryce Novak and then Knowles hit a sac fly to score Siens for a 4-2 lead. 

CUW got a run back in the bottom half on a fielding error, but once again the Gusties had answer, this time scoring four runs in the fifth. Tomas Nelson hit an RBI double, followed by an RBI sac fly by Siens, RBI single by Baker, and a fielding error for an 8-3 advantage. 

After the Falcons scored once in the bottom of the fifth, Gustavus score the final run of the game in the sixth as Schneider hit an RBI doubles. 

Mitch Casperson earned his second mound victory in as many starts, going four innings with two earned runs and five strikeouts. Jackson Thielen earned a three-inning save, allowing one earned run on three hits with one strikeout. 

Baker (2-4, 3 RBI, BB) and Brady Schmitz (2-3, R, RBI) led at the plate. 

Gustavus 17, Concordia-Wisconsin 4

Concordia started the game with three runs in the top of the first, but the Gusties answered with three of their own in the bottom half to tie the game. Isaac Becker and Schmitz were both hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in consecutive at-bats, followed by an RBI single by Nelson. 

The Falcons took a 4-3 lead in the second but that would be their final run of the game as the Gusties scored 14 unanswered runs. Becker hit a sac fly and Nelson hit a two-run single to make it 6-4 after the second. In the third, Baker hit an RBI single followed by a two-run single by Knowles. Becker then knocked in a run on a groundout and Nelson reached on an error that allowed another run to score, making it 11-4. 

In the fourth, Siens tripled home Novak, Baker singled home Siens, and Danny Gavin knocked in two mroe runs with a single. The final two runs were plated in the fifth as Schmitz knocked in a run with a single and Gavin hit a sac fly to score Knowles. 

Baker led the plate, batting 3-for-4 with four runs and two RBI. Luke Siegle earned his second win in as many starts, going four innings with four earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts. Noah Meffert, Thomas Ritt, and Christian Ash each pitched a scoreless inning of relief. 

Gustavus continues play at the Tucson Invite on Tuesday morning with a single game against Wheaton. 
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