University of St. Thomas Athletics
1-0
St. Scholastica
2-1
Baseball gets hard-earned sweep of CSS in opener
3/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
No. 1-ranked St. Thomas opened its 2010 baseball season Sunday night in the Metrodome with two close wins over No. 21-ranked St. Scholastica.
The Tommies rallied from game-one deficits of 3-0 and 5-4 and pulled out a 6-5 victory. In game two, St. Thomas rode Matt Schuld's complete-game pitching performance in a 3-1 victory.
The wins helped make Chris Olean's debut as St. Thomas head coach a success. Four UST pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts and just two walks on the night.
Senior Tom Wippler drove in four runs in game one with a bases-loeaded double in the fifth inning and a game tying double in the seventh inning. Junior Taylor Rahm drove in the winning run in each game.
Bryce Gapinski started for the Toms and had a no-hitter through 3 1-3 innings. But the Saints scored three runs in the fourth inning.
Wippler's bases-loaded double with two outs in the top of the fifth inning capped a four-run rally. But the Saints answered in the bottom of the fifth with a single, a ground-rule double, sacrifice fly and a wild pitch to regain the lead at 5-4.
UST was down to its last three outs but Matt Olson hustled out a bloop infield hit, Roy Larson singled and Wippler tied the game 5-5 on a liner into the gap in center field. Rahm followed with an RBI single that proved to be the winning margin.
Kris Edwards got the win as he pitched two scoreless innings and retired six of the seven batters he faced. Brandon Stone got the save as he hit one batter but retired the other three to end the game.
Olson had thre hits to lead an 11-hit attack. Matt McQuillan made two excellent catches in center field. The Toms stranded three runners on third base in the opener.
In game two, Schuld posted his 20th career victory as he struck out 10, walked just one and scattered five hits. He allowed a solo homer to Scott Greening in the fifth inning and worked out of a two-out jam in the sixth.
In game two, Rahm's first-inning triple made it 2-0 and Wippler's sacrifice fly gave UST a 3-0 lead.
Olson and Rahm finised with four hits each and senior second baseman John Bauer had three hits on the night.
The Tommies return to the Metrodome Wednesday for a nine-inning game against the Minnesota Gophers. Game time is 6:30 p.m.
Click here to access Game 1 box:
http://www.csssaints.com/custompages/baseball/Stats/2010/m07stss1.htm
Click here to access Game 2 box:
http://www.csssaints.com/custompages/baseball/Stats/2010/m07stss2.htm
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: K. Edwards (1-0)
L: M. Lewis (0-1)
S: BrandonStone (1)
Batting:
2B: R. Larson 1 ; T. Wippler 2
3B: M. Olson 1
RBI: R. Larson 1 ; T. Wippler 4 ; T. Rahm 1
Base Running:
RUNS: M. Olson 2 ; R. Larson 2 ; C. Bruchu 1 ; J. Bauer 1
CS: J. Bauer 1
HBP: R. Larson 1
Batting:
2B: Claugherty 1 ; B. Peterson 1 ; J. Link 1
RBI: S. Gerten 1 ; P. Kolodge 1 ; J. Link 2
SF: S. Gerten 1
Base Running:
RUNS: T. Juberian 1 ; Claugherty 1 ; B. Peterson 1 ; P. Kolodge 1 ; A. Manos 1
HBP: B. Marshik 1 ; T. Juberian 1 ; S. Gerten 1
