Minneapolis, Minn. - On Thursday night, the Hamline baseball team rallied for a pair of non-conference wins over Crown at U.S. Bank Stadium, winning game one 5-3 in 10 innings and taking game two 3-2.
 
First year Mac Enlow had a solid day at the plate for the Pipers, going 3-6 between the two games, including hitting a double and driving in a run. Junior Zack Langton led the team in RBIs on the night, driving in three runs, while also getting two hits of his own. Joining Enlow and Langton with multiple hits in the games was senior Devin Rodgers and junior Cullen Buck.
 
GAME 1: HAMLINE 5, CROWN 2 (10 INNINGS)
In the first game, the Pipers erased a two-run deficit, scoring a run in the sixth and seventh innings to force extra innings, where they scored three runs in the 10th to earn the 5-3 decision. 
 
Hamline and Crown each had six hits in the game, but Langton came up with a clutch two-out single for HU that drove in two runs in the top of the 10th. Hamline added another run on a double steal with senior Ryan Brauer crossing the plate to put the Pipers up by three.  
 
Crown looked to answer in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with only one out, but senior Nolan Hartmann came in for the final two outs, striking out the next batter and forcing a ground ball to end the game, earning his first save of the season.
 
The Storm got out to a 2-0 lead after the third inning, getting one run in on a triple to right center and one on a homer to left center. 
 
In the sixth, the Pipers got one of those runs back, as Buck doubled and later scored on a single from Enlow. In the seventh, Hamline was down to their last out when senior Eric Erb was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on a throwing error from the third baseman tying the game at two apiece. 
 
Neither team was able to score in the eighth or the ninth, but in the 10th, Tanner Cole and Colton Peters each got on with a walk, scoring on Langton's double. 
 
Senior Ben Resnick earned the win on the mound, pitching 4.1 innings in relief, allowing no runs on one hit while striking out five. Senior Jimmy Skroch started for the Pipers, giving up two runs on five hits with nine Ks in his five innings of work.  
 
GAME 2: HAMLINE 3, CROWN 2
Hamline used another comeback effort in game two to come out on top, scoring two runs in the sixth to earn a 3-2 win. Sophomore Zach Branson and senior Jake Dujmovic combined to throw a two-hitter in the contest, as Branson earned his first win of the year and Dujmovic was credited with his first save.
 
The team hit for a season-high .318 average in the game, being led by Rodgers who went 2-2 with a stolen base and a run. Langton, sophomore Avery Nelson, and sophomore Stephen Schmidt all had RBIs in the contest.
 
The Storm scored their two runs in the second inning, taking advantage of a two-out throwing error that got two runs across.
 
The Pipers answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the third, as Rodgers singled through the left side, advanced to second on a groundout, stole third, and scored on a groundout from Schmidt.
 
Hamline would take over the lead in the bottom of the sixth as Langton drove in sophomore Dayton Gutsch (pinch running for Enlow) on a double to centerfield and would later score on a single from Nelson.  
 
Dujmovic took care of the rest, retiring the Storm in the bottom of the seventh, giving up no runs on one hit.
 
The Pipers will look to continue their winning ways on Saturday night as they take on Lawrence at U.S. Bank Stadium at 10:00 and 11:55 p.m.