MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.--The Hamline University baseball team defeated North Central (Minn.) with a final score of 12-1 on Tuesday night at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, and then followed up with a 9-6 victory Wednesday morning.

The Pipers improve to 4-6, while the Rams fall to 0-8.

Hamline 12, North Central (Minn.) 1 (Game One)

Hamline took an early lead in the first inning with aggressive base running and timely hitting. Tyler Johnson scored the first run on a wild pitch, followed by Kyle Vanek's RBI single that brought Caden Erickson home. Jacob Barmore further extended the lead with a two-RBI single, making the score 4-0 by the end of the inning. The Pipers added two more runs in the third, increasing their lead to 6-1. The fourth inning saw Kyle Vanek deliver a sacrifice fly, making it 7-1. In the seventh inning, Hamline solidified their victory with a five-run surge, highlighted by Tyler Johnson's two-run homer, setting the score at 12-1.

Tyler Johnson stood out with three hits, including a home run, and two RBIs. Caden Erickson scored three runs and stole two bases. Kyle Vanek also made an impact with two hits, two RBIs, and a stolen base. Defensively, Ryan Burley excelled with four assists at shortstop. 

Finn Melchior pitched 3 innings, allowing one earned run on one hit while striking out five and walking two. Cameron Hickox pitched four innings in relief, allowing no runs on four hits.

Hamline 9, North Central 6 (Game Two)

The Pipers responded to the Rams' initial run with a strong offensive display in the first inning. Ryan Burley walked and advanced to second, setting the stage for Caden Erickson's RBI triple that brought Burley home. Grant Peltier followed with a single, allowing Erickson to score. The inning concluded with Jacob Barmore scoring on Stevie Schmitt's single and Schmitt stealing home, giving the Pipers a 4-1 lead. Hamline extended their lead to 5-3 in the third inning and capitalized on a Rams' error in the fifth to push the score to 6-3. The sixth inning saw a surge from Hamline, resulting in a score of 9-4, which helped secure the win despite late efforts from the Rams.

Caden Erickson led the Pipers with a triple, two RBIs, and a stolen base. Grant Peltier delivered two hits, two RBIs, and a stolen base, despite being caught stealing twice. Tyler Johnson showcased a strong performance as well with two hits, two runs, and a stolen base. Stevie Schmitt added two hits, two runs, one RBI, and two stolen bases.

Dalton Maxwell recorded a win with four innings pitched, allowing three hits and two runs. Hans Christensen V pitched one inning, allowing two hits and one earned run. Teagan Yotter pitched 1 2/3 innings with two strikeouts, allowing two hits but no earned runs, while Sabastian Teague earned the save by striking out the only batter he faced.

The Pipers will return to action in Tucson, Arizona on Saturday, March 15 against George Fox at 10 a.m. (PT), and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at 1 p.m. (PT).