ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Hamline baseball team (10-16, 5-8 MIAC) continued with their MIAC schedule on Thursday afternoon, falling twice to Saint Mary's (21-10, 15-7 MIAC) at CHS Field. In game one, the Pipers kept up with Cardinal offense but fell 9-4. In game two, the HU bats went quiet as SMU won 8-1.
GAME 1: SAINT MARY'S 9, HAMLINE 4
Each team tallied nine hits and four walks in the first game, but Saint Mary's was able to capitalize more with runners in scoring position to come away with a 9-4 game one win. The Pipers left 10 runners on throughout the game, which included leaving the bases loaded in both the fifth and sixth innings.
Senior
Zack Langton paced the offense, going three for four at the plate with an RBI. First year
Mac Enlow had a pair of hits and a walk in the contest, also driving in a run.
A double for Saint Mary's in the first inning drove in two runs, as they took a quick 2-0 lead. The Pipers would take over the lead in the third, when first year
Matt Rusch drove in two runs on a triple down the right field line and Langton singled to score Rusch.
The Cardinals would answer right back in the top of the fourth, using two hits, a walk, a sacrifice fly, and a sacrifice bunt to score three runs, leading 5-3 after four complete. SMU would add another run in the fifth, as a leadoff walk eventually came around to score, making it 6-3.
HU would have the bases loaded in the fifth, but wouldn't score until the sixth when Enlow walked with the bases loaded. This got the game within two at 6-4.
Saint Mary's would score three more times in the seventh, giving themselves some breathing room with a 9-4 lead heading into Hamline's final at-bats. Langton tripled to start off the seventh, but the Cardinals would record the next three straight outs to claim the win.
Junior
Will Tzavaras took the loss on the mound, pitching the first 3.1 innings. He gave up five runs on four hits and three walks. First year
Elijah Erickson pitched 2.2 innings in relief, giving up three runs, and sophomore
Jonah Smallfield pitched the final inning, giving up one run.
GAME 2: SAINT MARY'S 8, HAMLINE 1
The Pipers only had three hits throughout the second game, as the Cardinals tallied 13 on their way to an 8-1 win. Enlow, Langton, and sophomore
Logan Tollefson each had a hit and sophomore
Zach Branson would take the loss on the mound, pitching all but the final out for the Pipers.
Branson gave up 13 hits in the outing and was charged with all eight runs, despite only five of them being earned. He struck out six batters throughout the contest.
Saint Mary's scored right away in the first inning, with a walk, three hits, and a passed ball leading to three runs. A leadoff walk followed by a double in the second made it 4-0 in favor of the Cardinals.
The Pipers would get their only run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Langton and Tollefson singled back-to-back and teammate
Ian Sandbo was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Senior
Colton Peters drove in Langton on a sacrifice fly, but SMU would escape without further damage.
Hamline would have baserunners on throughout the rest of the game, but were unable to score them, leaving a total of nine runners on base.
Saint Mary's added an unearned run in the sixth and rallied again in the ninth for three additional runs to make the final 8-1.
The Pipers will take on Saint John's this weekend, first heading up to Collegeville for a doubleheader on Saturday before hosting the Johnnies to CHS on Sunday for a nine-inning game.
