Baseball 3/19/02 -- Augsburg 4-3, Wartburg (Iowa) 3-9

GAME 1 BOXSCORE
GAME 2 BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (3/19/02) -- Pat Marsh (Sr., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) and Adam Larson (So., Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) each had two hits in the first game for Augsburg College, and B.J. Meaney (So., Waterloo, Iowa/Columbus HS) went 3-for-4, scoring two runs and driving in another in the second game for Wartburg College, as the teams split a baseball doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Augsburg won the first game 4-3, while Wartburg won the second game 9-3.

Augsburg used a three-run sixth inning to claim the victory in the first game, while Wartburg took a 9-0 advantage to storm ahead in the second contest. Augsburg, a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team, is now 3-4 on the season; Wartburg, champions of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and an NCAA Division III College World Series team last year, is now 9-7 overall.

The first game, which ended up a pitchers' duel between Auggie freshman Jeremy Nelson (Fr., Maplewood, Minn./Roseville HS) and Wartburg junior Andrew Arthur (Jr., Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock HS). Nelson struck out four while walking two in 5.1 innings of work, while Arthur struck out two, also working 5.1 innings. Collin Nash (So., Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS) earned the save for the Auggies, pitching 1.2 innings and allowing just one hit.

Augsburg took the first lead in the top of the fifth, when Larson singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by John Peterson (So., Cumberland, Wis.). Wartburg took a lead on a two-run, inside-the-park home run from Ryan Mix (Jr., Mason City, Iowa) in the top of the sixth, but Augsburg responded with three runs in the top of the sixth. With two runners aboard, Ryan Krautkremer (Sr., Waseca, Minn.) hit a double to the left-center gap that Wartburg's left fielder lost in the lights, driving in a run. A sacrifice fly by Dave Sherry (Sr., Hastings, Minn.) and a single from Larson plated two more runs for the Auggies.

Wartburg scored a run in the seventh, when Jude Burger (Sr., Dubuque, Iowa/Whalert HS) tripled and scored on a groundout by Chris Winter (So., New Hampton, Iowa).

Wartburg jumped out to the lead in the second game, scoring two runs in the second inning. Tim Stoffer (Jr., Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf HS) singled and drove in a run, and Mix brought in a run on a sacrifice fly in the second.

A six-run fifth inning, with Wartburg sending 10 batters to the plate, put the game out of reach. An RBI single by Burger started the rally, followed by an Augsburg error to bring in a run. Meaney doubled to right field, driving in a run, and Jay Whannel (Jr., Traer, Iowa/North Tama HS) plated a run on a sacrifice fly. A triple to right-center by Mix brought in two runs. Wartburg added another run in the sixth, when Burger scored an unearned run on a fielding error.

Augsburg's three runs were scored in the sixth, when Nick Rathmann (Jr., Waseca, Minn.) drove in a run on a single, and Pat Knafla (So., Rice, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice HS) drove in two runs on a double to right-center.

Caleb Klein (So., Manchester, Iowa/West Delaware HS) struck out five Auggies in recording the pitching win, allowing just six hits and two walks in six innings of work. Jay Bollman (Sr., Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock HS) pitched in relief. Matt Topp (Sr., South St. Paul, Minn.), one of four Auggie pitchers to work in the second game, took the loss, striking out four in four innings of work.

Augsburg returns to action on Thursday (3/21) with its final doubleheader at the Metrodome, facing Mayville State (N.D.) at 9 a.m. Wartburg has a doubleheader at the Metrodome on Friday (3/22) at 9:30 p.m. against St. John's of the MIAC.