Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 It was a start worthy of a guy who knew his baseball teammates needed a big effort. With the Pipers playing their fifth doubleheader in as many days, Matt Eickman took charge of the game early, throwing a complete game 5-hitter in a 6-4 win at St. Mary's. The win was the Pipers' seventh ina row but the streak came to a sudden end when the cardinals rallied for a 9-8 win in the nightcap. 

Eickman (pictured earlier this year at the Metrodome) improved his record to 4-3 with pinpoint control. He walked just one and fanned three in his first route-going effort of the season. His teammates gave him an early cushion, scoring twice in the top of the first inning. Jordan Rubbelke slapped out the first of three hits in the game, a runscoring double in the frame. Mark Radmacher, who had a pair of hits, plated a run in the second. HU took advantage of a pair of errors in the fourth to score three more runs to give Eickman the cushion he needed.

The second game started well, too. Joe Rubbelke continued his resaurgence at the plate with two hits in each game to run his batting average to .341 for the year. In Game 2, he singled a run in and later scored in a two-run second that helped HU to an early 3-0 lead. The Cardinals got two back in the bottom of that inning but the Pipers appeared to pull away whewn they ran up five runs in the fifth inning. Radmacher started the inning with his third homer of the season. Later, Evan Cordell unleashed a two RBI triple. 

But the 8-2 lead didn't last long because SMU scored six time in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game. The Cardinals got the winning tally the next inning. Hamline, however, didn't go down easily. Cordell led off the seventh with his third hit of the game, a double. After an out, Jordan Buck walked but the next two batters went down and the winning streak was over.

Hamline is now 20-8 overall, 7-5 in the MIAC. They will take Wednesday off and then head back into the thick of things Thursday against Augsburg (17-8, 5-3) Thursday at Minneapolis' Parade Stadium. The first game is slated to start at 4:00 p.m. On Saturday, Hamline visits neighbor St. Thomas. HU will be at St. Olaf on Monday, May 6 and wrap up the regular season against Concordia at Midway Stadium on Wednesday, May 8.