TUCSON, Ariz - The Gustavus baseball team started their annual spring break trip down to Arizona with two wins against Concordia-Wisconsin. The bats were flowing as the Gusties scored 20 runs, including a four-run night from junior Brayden Kohls (Norwood, Minn.) and a six-RBI second game performance from senior Joe Burns (Eden Prairie, Minn.).

Gustavus 7, Concordia-Wisconsin 6

Junior Oliver Giel (Wayzata, Minn.) got the start on the bump for the Gusties to start their trip in Arizona, giving up a run with two outs in the first inning but worked himself out of a jam to stop the bleeding, forcing a lineout to right field. In the bottom of the inning, Kohls continued his incredible form to start the season with a single on a full count to lead off. Sophomore Charles Gearen (Minneapolis, Minn.) drove Kohls in, tripling to center field but was stranded after junior Isaiah Hasz flew out to first. 

After the first, there was an inning and a half scoreless before the Gusties took the lead in the bottom of the third, 3-1. Junior Simon James (Minnetrista, Minn.) hit the team's third triple of the day to right field and Gearen got his second RBI of the day, sending James home on the following at bat while grounding out to short. With the bases empty, Hasz tripled to center field and senior Ross Hebel (Prior Lake, Minn.) singled to shortstop, bringing in Hasz to extend the lead to two through three innings. 

In the top of the fourth, with two outs and the bases loaded, sophomore Logan Feeney (Le Sueur, Minn.) was called upon and walked in a run to bring the lead down to one, but struck out the next batter to limit the damage. Gustavus didn't score in the bottom of the fourth, but Feeney forced a double play in the top of the fifth to keep the Falcons scoreless as well, bringing up Kohls to bat again. The Norwood native tripled yet again and was brought in on the following at-bat by Burns, doubling the Falcon score. Burns advanced to second on a wild pitch and when James singled to center, Burns was able to round the corner and bring the lead to three. Concordia-Wisconsin made a pitching change after the second run and turned the tide, ending the inning on the next two at-bats.

With the lead 5-2 for the Gusties, the Falcons grabbed one back, running in on a wild pitch in the top of the 6th. Gustavus was able to get out with just one run lost in the differential, heading into the bottom of the sixth up two. After reaching on an error and a walk, Hebel and sophomore Cade Kimmes (Hampton, Minn.) pulled off the double steal and set themselves up with two runners in scoring position, which both capitalized on. First, sophomore Jackson Golberg (Savage, Minn.) flew out to right field but sent Hebel home and Kimmes to third. Then, Kohls tripled for the third time on the day, sending Kimmes home and pushing the score to 7-3 going into the top of the seventh in a seven-inning game. 

The seventh inning was not as smooth as the Gusties had maybe hoped, with three consecutive walks sending home a runner who had doubled to start the inning. The bases were loaded with one out and the score at 7-4, when the Falcons flied out to right field, sending one home and then doubling on the next at-bat. With runners on second and third with two outs, Feeney forced a fly out from the final Falcon batter of the day, narrowly escaping with a 7-6 win to start the trip. 

Kohls ended the day with three hits, two of which were doubles, for seven total bases to lead Gustavus. Gearen batted two runs in to lead, while Feeney got the win on the mound to bring his record to 2-0. The Gusties had 10 hits and one error in the win, while only stranding four runners on base. 

Gustavus 13, Concordia-Wisconsin 9

The Gustavus baseball team, batting first as the visiting team, got off to another hot start, with Burns tripling to center field and being driven in on the next at-bat by Gearen again. With junior Benny McDonald (Blaine, Minn.) on the mound, he made quick work in the first inning, striking out the first batter and then Gearen made an unassisted double play to get the last two outs after a line drive. 

The top of the second was nice to the Gusties, bringing four runs by the time the top half of the inning was said and done. After Hebel earned a walk, junior catcher Andrew Glovich (Sioux Falls, S.D.) hit the first home run of his career, a two-run long ball out to left field. The Gusties scored two more in the inning as well, after Gearen singled to right field, driving in both Kohls and junior Daniel Dahl (St. Paul, Minn.) to lift the score to 5-0. 

The Falcons got one back in the bottom of the second, singling to left field and driving a runner in. The top of the third warranted a good reaction from Gustavus, starting with two walks for the Gusties. Senior Tomas Nelson (Maplewood, Minn.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases and after Kohls flew out, Burns hit a bases-clearing double, extending the lead to 8-1 through three and a half. Each team went silent in their next two times up, with the exception of a solo home run for the Falcons on the first pitch of the fourth inning. 

The scoring got back underway in the top of the sixth, with five runs coming for the Gusties to push the lead into double digits, 13-2. With two outs, Gustavus went on a tear, starting with Glovich singling to left field to bring in both Hasz and Becker. With just Glovich on second, Dahl doubled to left field, only able to push Glovich to third. After Kohls walked, the bases were loaded again, setting up another three-run parade. Burns drove three in again, this time via a double to left field. The bases got back loaded via two walks, but sophomore Brayden Windschitl (Excelsior, Minn.) lined out to center, leaving three stranded. 

With the lead at 11, Concordia-Wisconsin made a valiant attempt to push back, scoring one in the top of the sixth. The true push came in the last half inning, the bottom of the seventh, when the Falcons scored six runs, ending the game at 13-9 for the Gusties. The runs in the inning came fairly unconventionally, with runners scoring on two errors, a batter hit by pitch, one walk, a fielder's choice, and a single. While the attempt was strong, senior pitcher Alex Swenson (Excelsior, Minn.) was able to wrap it up with the final out, forcing a pop up to Windschitl at third base. 

Burns brought in a monstrous six runs while Dahl touched home plate three times himself. The team scored 13 runs on 14 hits, but also recorded three errors on the night. 

Gustavus is back in action tomorrow for another game against Concordia-Wisconsin, taking on the Falcons at 12:00 p.m. central. 
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