Baseball 4/12/03 -- Augsburg 7-5, Bethel 12-4

GAME 1 BOXSCORE
GAME 2 BOXSCORE


MINNEAPOLIS (4/12/03) -- Pat Marsh (Sr., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) went 5-for-7 in the doubleheader, and Collin Nash (Jr., Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS) pitched a complete-game victory in the second contest, as host Augsburg College split a basebal twinbill with Bethel College in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action Saturday afternoon at Parade Stadium.

Bethel claimed the first-game victory 12-7, while Augsburg won the second game 5-4. Bethel is now 11-10 overall and 2-6 in MIAC play, while Augsburg is now 8-13-2 overall and 3-5 in MIAC play. Augsburg has split three of its four conference doubleheaders this season.

Bethel outhit Augsburg 16-12 in the first game and took advantage of four Augsburg fielding errors in the contest, building a 12-2 lead after four innings.

A two-run double by Zach Ludvigson (So., Minnetonka, Minn.) and a two-run single by Peter Harrell (So., Minnetrista, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) gave Bethel a four-run second inning, followed by a three-run third, with a two-run triple by Ryan Mahoney (So., St. Paul, Minn./Harding HS) and another run-scoring hit by Ludvingson. Ludvigson went 3-for-5 in the game for the Royals.

Chris Carroll (Jr., Roseville, Minn.) hit a two-run double and scored on a fielding error, and Mahoney drove in a run on a single for a four-run fourth frame for the Royals.

Augsburg attempted a rally in the final three innings, but couldn't cut enough into the Royals' lead. A two-run single by M.J. Iverson (Sr., New Germany, Minn./Norwood-Young America Central HS) in the fifth, a run-scoring single by Andy Nelson (Fr., Waseca, Minn.) in the sixth, and a sacrifice fly by Pat Knafla (Jr., Rice, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice HS) and an RBI single by Taylor Pagel (So., Cannon Falls, Minn.) cut the margin for the Auggies.

Iverson and Marsh each went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Auggies.

Jeremy Nelson (So., Maplewood, Minn./Roseville HS) took the loss for Augsburg, allowing seven runs in 2.1 innings. Nick Rathmann (Sr., Waseca, Minn.) pitched in relief and struck out four, but allowed five runs.

Ben Willet (So., North Oaks, Minn./Minnehaha Academy HS), the first of three pitchers used by the Royals, picked up the win, striking out one.

Nash proved to be effective for Augsburg on the mound in the second game, throwing his third straight complete game. He struck out three, and while allowing 10 hits, forced Bethel to strand five runners on base.

Bethel scored twice in the first inning, as Ludvigson led off the game with a solo home run, and Ricky Saintey (Jr., Rosemount, Minn.) brought home a run on a suicide-squeeze sacrifice bunt.

But Augsburg put three runs on the board in the bottom of the frame, as Joe Haehn (Fr., Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn HS) plated two runs on a single and Knafla drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.

Augsburg scored single runs in the third and fifth, as Haehn doubled and scored on a fielding error, and Marsh singled and scored on a wild pitch.

Bethel could muster just two more runs, as Craig Hawkinson (So., Maple Plain, Minn./Orono HS) tripled and scored on a double by Ludvigson in the fifth, and Travis Wermedal (So., Wells, Minn./United South Central HS) hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run in the sixth.

Haehn went 3-for-3 to lead the Auggies, while Marsh went 2-for-3. Each scored two runs. Hawkinson went 3-for-3 for the Royals, while Ludvigson went 2-for-4.

Bethel again used three pitchers in the second game, with Jason Steffenhagen (Jr., Maple Plain, Minn./Orono HS) picking up the loss in 4.1 innings of work.

Augsburg returns to action on Monday (4/14), hosting St. Mary's in an MIAC doubleheader at 2:30 p.m. at Parade Stadium. Bethel returns to league play on Wednesday (4/16), with a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader at St. John's.