SAINT PETER, Minn. - Playing in its first ever NCAA tournament game on a chilly, windy, and rainy Friday afternoon, No. 14 Gustavus baseball treated its home crowd to a 7-5 win over Beloit. The Gusties, now 37-7 overall, move on to face UW-Oshkosh (32-13) at noon Saturday with a trip to the region championship on the line. 

After a brief rain delay to start the game, Beloit opened the game with a run on three hits in the first inning. The Gusties answered in the second after Ross Hebel hit a leadoff single and Isaac Becker lifted his fifth home run of the season over the right field fence. Becker has now hit go-ahead homers in consecutive playoff games. Sam Schneider then reached on an error and later scored after back-to-back singles by Chris Knowles and Luke Siegle. 

The Gusties added a run in the third as Joe Burns hit a leadoff home run - his sixth of the year. The Buccaneers got one back in the fourth on three straight singles, but Adam Biewen got out of the jam by coaxing a fly out to left followed by a double play turned by Drake Siens and Hebel. 

Beloit made it a one-run game in the fifth with a solo homer, but Gustavus responded immediately in the home half with three runs. Siegle led off with a double and scored on a single by Siens. Three batters later and with two down, Becker knocked home Siens with a single to center and then scored on a double by Schneider for a 7-3 lead. 

The Bucs scored one in the seventh after a double and two wild pitches, but Biewen ended it there, finishing his day on the mound. Biewen improved to 7-0 after seven innings. He allowed four runs on 11 hits with eight strikeouts. 

Logan Feeney entered in the eighth and sent the Bucs down in order. The visitors got a rally going in the ninth after a leadoff walk followed by a single and wild pitch. Head Coach Brad Baker then went to the bullpen for his new closer, Mitch Casperson, who sent the next three batters down in order, finishing off the game with a strikeout for his second save of the postseason. 

Gustavus collected 11 hits, led by Becker who went 2-for-4 with two runs, three RBIs, and a home run. 

Gustavus and UW-Oshkosh will face off for just the third time and first since 2010 when the Gusties won 2-1 in an early season game. The Titans advanced to the winners bracket with a decisive 34-8 win over Chicago in the first game of the day. 

  Read Full Article