SAINT PETER, Minn. - The Gustavus baseball team struggled to find their bats on Tuesday in a sweep against Macalester, being held to one and six hits in Game 1 and Game 2, respectively.
Gustavus 0, Macalester 3
There was no stopping Macalester pitcher Ben King in the first game, who threw a complete game shutout, only allowing one hit and one walk in the game, including a perfect stretch through the first 16 outs.
It was the first time all year that the Gusties had been held scoreless in a game and their only hit came in the bottom of the seventh inning. Sophomore
Jackson Golberg (Savage, Minn.) crashed King's party, doubling to deep left center field with no outs, but no one following him could bring him home or continue the momentum.
The hit for Golberg marked his 10th straight game with a hit, but the team struggled overall. Gustavus had 22 at bats overall, but struck out nine times. After junior catcher
Andrew Glovich (Sioux Falls, S.D.) was walked in the sixth, classmate
Daniel Dahl (St. Paul, Minn.) pinch ran and was able to garner the only stolen base of the game, putting him into scoring position. Both times players were able to get on base, they advanced to scoring position, but the team stranded both.
Junior pitcher
Benny McDonald (Blaine, Minn.) went the distance for the Gusties, dropping down to a 1-3 record after needing 104 pitches to get 21 outs in the seven-inning contest. McDonald allowed seven hits and three runs, with only one walk and four strikeouts.
Gustavus 4, Macalester 11
The second game held more offense for Gustavus, who were able to find seven hits, three of which came too late, in the bottom of the ninth, as the Gusties added three consolation runs.
With sophomore
Logan Feeney (Le Sueur, Minn.) on the mound, the Scots jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, thanks to a sacrifice fly and a two-run bomb over the left field wall. Fifth-year
Isaac Becker (Columbia Heights, Minn.) responded in the bottom of the second, with senior
Joe Burns (Eden Prairie, Minn.) using smart baserunning to score on a fielder's choice while Macalester elected to tag out junior
Simon James (Minnetrista, Minn.) at third in a rundown.
It seemed for the next six innings like nothing else would come, going silent with the bats from the fourth through the sixth, before Becker singled to center field in the seventh. Nothing would come of the hit, but the Gusties turned up the offensive power in the bottom of the ninth, scoring three runs. First, Dahl grounded out to the shortstop, but James was able to come home before senior
Tomas Nelson (Maplewood, Minn.) hit a line-drive home run over the left field wall to score himself and Becker.
The Gusties used two hits from James, Becker, and Nelson to find their six hits of Game 2, but could not use any from other players to push themselves along. Nelson led with two RBI, while Burns found first twice in the form of a walk.
Gustavus has no time to dwell on the MIAC sweep, making up a pair against Augsburg tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. in Minneapolis that was originally scheduled for April 4th.
