MORRIS, Minn. - The Hamline baseball team (13-23, 6-15 MIAC) returned to the win column on Monday afternoon, taking two games off non-conference opponent Minnesota Morris (5-23) on the road. In game one, HU needed extra innings to win it, coming away with a 6-5 win, but in game two, the Pipers took care of business in regulation, winning 10-6.
 
Senior Zack Langton and first year Max Gerstner led the Pipers offensively, combining for an impressive 11 hits on the day. Langton went 5-9 with two RBIs and Gerstner went 6-8 with four RBIs and four runs.
 
GAME 1: HAMLINE 6, MINNESOTA MORRIS 5 (9 INNINGS)
The Pipers earned a come-from-behind victory in the first game, scoring a run in the seventh to force extra innings and finding a way to win it in the ninth.  
 
The Cougars scored first in the game, as a bases-loaded walk made it 1-0 in the second inning. Hamline would tie it up in the fourth inning, when junior Cullen Buck singled, advanced to second on a groundout from Mac Enlow, and was driven in on a single from Langton.
 
Minnesota Morris would take the lead right back in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring two runs to make it 3-1. A leadoff double would eventually score on a wild pitch and then a Piper error would extend the inning, allowing the other run to score on a bases-loaded walk.
 
Langton would drive in another run in the sixth to make it a one-run game. Enlow started the inning with a double to center and Langton got him home on a single up the middle.
 
In the seventh, the Pipers would get a big run to tie the game and send it to extra-innings. Gerstner got the rally started with a double down the right field line. Sophomore Ian Sandbo followed that up with a single, getting Gerstner to third which would allow him to score on a groundout from Buck to tie the game at three apiece.
 
Morris looked like they would answer with a run of their own in the bottom of the seventh, when they led off with a single, but pitcher Jonah Smallfield retired the next three batters in order, including getting two strikeouts, to preserve the tie.
 
In the eighth, sophomore Owen Christenson singled and would advance to second on a throwing error by the Cougars. Another error moved Christenson over to third, where he would score on a sac fly from Gavin Renwick.
 
The Cougars would also score in the eighth, as a leadoff double was bunted over and driven in on a single to left field, once again tying the game, but at four runs each this time. Two strikeouts from HU pitcher Josh Cary ended the inning, sending it to the ninth.
 
Three singles and a sacrifice fly got two runs across for the Pipers in the ninth, which would be enough to get the win, as Morris was only able to score one in their half of the inning.
 
Junior Taylor Just started on the mound for HU, pitching the first two innings. He gave up one run on three hits while striking out three and walking two. Spencer Klika would come in next, giving up two runs (only one earned) in his 2.2 innings of work. Eiljah Erickson pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief before Smallfield came in for 1.1 innings, giving up a run. Cary closed out the game, giving up one run in his 1.2 innings. Cary would earn the win, his first as a Piper.
 
GAME 2: HAMLINE 11, MINNESOTA MORRIS, 7
In game two, Hamline used 13 hits, including five for extra bases, on their way to an 11-7 win. Gerstner and Langton each had three hits in the game, with Gerstner driving in four of the team's 11 runs.
 
The Pipers opened the scoring in a big way, putting up seven runs in the second. Gerstner got the offense rolling with a double and would score when Stephen Schmidt reached on an error. A single from Langton would score Schmidt and a bases-loaded walk from Sandbo later in the inning would make it 3-0. Christenson then doubled to score two more and Gerstner then came up with his second double of the inning, driving in two runs to conclude the innings' scoring.
 
Morris got one run back in the bottom of the inning as a leadoff single would eventually score on an RBI-single later in the inning. They would have a big inning of their own in the third, getting five runs in on five hits, a walk, and an HU error. This would get the Cougars within one, at 7-6.
 
A homer from first year Colin Schuetz made it 8-6 and RBI singles from Gerstner and Schmidt in the sixth made it 11-6. A sacrifice fly would score an unearned run for Minnesota Morris, making it 11-7, which it would stay as Enlow (who closed out the game) would strand three Cougar runners to help the Pipers earn the sweep.
 
Cary started in game two, pitching the first two innings. He gave up one run on three hits while striking out two. First year Luke Schmaedeke came in next, giving up five runs (four earned) on five hits. Erickson relieved him, pitching the next 3.2 innings, giving up only one unearned run while striking out three. Enlow gave up three hits in the seventh, but wouldn't allow a run to score. Erickson picked up the win, moving to 2-3 on the year.
 
The Pipers close out the regular season on Wednesday, heading up to St. Scholastica for a nine-inning game. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.