Baseball 4/29/02 -- St. Olaf 39-26, Augsburg 4-7

GAME 1 BOXSCORE
GAME 2 BOXSCORE


NORTHFIELD, Minn. (4/29/02) -- Brian Sprout (Jr., Lake City, Minn.) tied an NCAA Division III record by hitting four home runs in a single game as part of an incredible offensive outburst by St. Olaf College, as the Oles routed Augsburg College 39-4 and 26-7 in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader Monday afternoon at Mark Almli Field.

With a strong wind blowing "out," St. Olaf stroked 12 homers in the first game and two in the second as part of a 59-hit, 67-run doubleheader to maintain its grip on first place in the MIAC. The Oles are now 20-10 overall and 13-3 in MIAC play. Augsburg dropped to 9-25 overall and 3-13 in the MIAC.

Sprout had a home run "cycle" in the first game, as he hit a grand-slam homer in the second inning, a two-run homer in the fourth, a three-run homer in the sixth and a solo homer in the seventh. His four home runs tied an NCAA Division III single-game record (set 10 times since 1982), and his 11 RBI is the second-most in a single game in Division III history (the record is 12). Adding a run-scoring double, his 17 total bases is second-most in a single game in Division III history (the record is 18).

As a team, St. Olaf's 12 home runs were the second-most in a single game in Division III history (the record is 13), and combined with Augsburg's one home run, the 13 in the game is the third-most by two teams in a single game in Division III hisory (the record is 16). The first game total-base total of 79 (35 hits plus 8 doubles plus 12 home runs) sets a new Division III single-game record; the previous record was 77 by Wooster (Ohio), set in a 1986 game.

The Oles were effective with the bats in the first game, as they gained just six walks and five hit batters, and Augsburg committed just two errors. As a result, the Oles claimed 35 earned runs against three Auggie pitchers. Starter Joe Pontrelli (So., Eagan, Minn.) lasted just 2.1 innings, allowing five homers and 15 runs (11 earned); Russ Bauer (Jr., Faribault, Minn.) lasted 1.2 innings, allowing four homers and 14 earned runs; and Isaac Schmidt (Fr., Luverne, Minn.) lasted three innings, allowing three homers and 10 earned runs.

Every starter for St. Olaf had at least one hit, and just two of the 14 position players (both reserves) went hitless. Sprout and Brad Baglien (So., Mounds View, Minn.) went 5-for-7 at the plate, while Joe Pavelko (So., Richfield, Minn.) hit two homers and added seven RBI in going 4-for-5. Steve Ryan (Sr., South St. Paul, Minn.) went 4-for-4 with five runs scored and a homer, and Dan LaManna (Sr., South St. Paul, Minn.) went 3-for-4 with two homers and four runs scored.

Charlie Ruud (So., Cannon Falls, Minn.) pitched three innings of two-hit ball for the Oles, with Joe Blankush (So., Duluth, Minn.) striking out four in four innings of work.

Augsburg scored its only runs of the game in the seventh, with Taylor Pagel (Fr., Cannon Falls, Minn.) hitting a solo home run, the first of his career, and Nick Rathmann (Jr., Waseca, Minn.) collecting a two-run double. Rathmann went 3-for-4 for the Auggies.

Sprout continued his hitting clinic in the second game, as he went 4-for-6 with five runs scored and three RBI to lead a 24-hit, 26-run performance for the Oles. Mike Ludwig (Jr., Blaine, Minn.) went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, a two-run homer and four RBI. Baglien went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a double and five RBI, and Ryan went 3-for-5 with a solo homer and two RBI. Joe Hammond (Sr., Neilsville, Wis.) also went 3-for-4.

Collin Nash (So., Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS) and Pat Marsh (Sr., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) had two runs each to lead the Auggies, who scored their seven runs in the final three innings. A two-run single by M.J. Iverson (Sr., New Germany, Minn/Norwood-Young America Central HS) began the Auggie scoring in the fifth, a single by Ryan Krautkremer (Sr., Waseca, Minn.), two-run double by Krautkremer and a run-scoring double by Jon Kozitza (So., North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West HS) gave the Auggies runs in the sixth, and a groundout by Travis Akre (Jr., Winona, Minn.) brought in a run in the seventh.

Augsburg used four pitchers in the game, with Jared Lynch (Sr., Jordan, Minn.) lasting four innings and allowing 11 earned runs (16 total). Jeff Jasperson (So., Duluth, Minn.) picked up the win as one of three Ole pitchers, striking out four in five innings of work.

Both teams are scheduled to return to MIAC doubleheader play on Wednesday (5/1) at 2:30 p.m., as Augsburg plays at St. Mary's and St. Olaf plays at St. John's.