TUCSON, ARIZ.—The opening two games of spring break pitted the Hamline University baseball team against Sul Ross State (DH) in Tucson, Arizona on Saturday morning, where they dropped a pair of low-scoring games 4-3 and 3-1.
The Pipers fall to 2-7 while the Lobos, who will begin their transition to NCAA Division II in 2023-24, improve to 7-5.
Sul Ross State 4, Hamline 3 (Game One)
Both teams traded a pair of fourth-inning runs to break a scoreless tie. Hamline did the honors as Mac Enlow and Tyler Johnson led the frame off with a double and single, respectively, to put runners of the corners. Enlow would score off Avery Liebren's single to give the Pipers a 1-0 lead, but Johnson would be thrown out at third base on the play. Liebren made things 2-0 when Caden Erickson reached on an error.
The Lobos countered that in the bottom of the fourth inning, as they strung together four hits that resulted in a pair of runs to even things at 2-2.
Enlow put Hamline back on top 3-2 in the sixth inning when he led off with a single, advanced to second base on Liebren's sacrifice bunt, touched third on Erickson's infield single, and reached home on an error.
Sul Ross State came back with a pair of sixth-inning runs despite just one hit in the frame. Their runs occurred off an RBI groundout and sacrifice fly, which gave them a 4-3 edge.
Zach Branson allowed eight hits, four runs, and struck out six over 5 1/3 innings of pitching work for Hamline before Jonah Smallfield came in for the final two outs. Seven different Pipers recorded a hit.
Sul Ross State 3, Hamline 1 (Game Two)
Hamline registered their lone run of the game in the sixth inning, where they trailed 3-0. Max Gerstner led off the inning with a double, advanced to third on Enlow's single, and scored off Finn Melchior's single to narrow the Pipers' deficit to 3-1.
Mac Enlow and Caden Erickson each registered a pair of hits for the Hamline offense.
Pipers starting pitcher Conor Mestemacher allowed six hits, three runs, and walked no batters over six innings on the pitching rubber before Dalton Maxwell threw a scoreless seventh inning.
Hamline will face Concordia (Wis.) in Tucson tomorrow, Sunday, March 12 at 4 p.m. (MT).
