Baseball 4/17/05 -- Augsburg 1-12, Gustavus 2-3

GAME 1 BOXSCORE
GAME 2 BOXSCORE


ST. PETER, Minn. (4/17/05) -- Darren Ginther (Jr., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) hit a grand-slam home run and went 3-for-4 with three runs scored in the second game, leading the Augsburg College baseball team to a split with Gustavus Adolphus College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Gustavus' Myrum Memorial Field.

After dropping the first game 2-1 to the Gusties, Augsburg exploded for a 12-3 victory in the second game, scoring its eighth straight doubleheader split and fifth in MIAC play. Augsburg is now 14-12 overall, 5-5 in MIAC play, while Gustavus is now 10-14 overall, 4-6 in MIAC play.

Ginther's grand slam, his fourth home run in his two seasons as an Auggie, capped a four-run fourth inning to break open what had been a 4-2 Augsburg advantage entering the frame. Augsburg scored four more runs in the final three innings as part of a 15-hit outburst in the second game.

For Ginther, hitting a team-high .430, it is his team-high 12th multiple-hit game of the season. He also has team highs with 10 extra-base hits, 24 RBI, 54 total bases, a .628 slugging percentage and a .515 on-base percentage.

Augsburg got another strong pitching effort from Jeremy Nelson (Sr., Maplewood, Minn./Roseville HS), who pitched six innings while striking out two, walking two and allowing seven hits. Reliever Tyler Kraft (So., Savage, Minn./Burnsville HS), making his 16th appearance of the season in Augsburg's 26 games, pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Kraft also pitched a third of an inning in the first game, marking the fourth time he has appeared in both games of an Auggie doubleheader this season. He has appeared in 10 of Augsburg's last 13 games.

All but one Augsburg player had at least one hit in the second game. Aaron Hazen (So., Burnsville, Minn.) went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI, while Matt Johnson (So., Plymouth, Minn./Osseo HS), Taylor Pagel (Sr., Cannon Falls, Minn.) and Brian Bambenek (So., St. Charles, Minn.) had two hits apiece, with Bambenek scoring twice.

Augsburg jumped on the board early, with Pagel, Ricky Schreier (Jr., St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS) and Hazen hitting RBI singles in the top of the first inning. After giving up two runs in the bottom of the first, on RBI singles by Ben Sherer and Andy Schmidt, the Auggies scored again in the third, on an RBI double by Hazen.

After Ginther's grand slam, Augsburg scored twice in the fifth inning, on a liner by Jeff Stomberg (Fr., Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) and RBI single by Troy Deden (Jr., Northfield, Minn.); and twice in the seventh, on a single by Hazen and bases-loaded walk. Sherer hit a solo home run in the sixth inning for the Gusties.

Gustavus used five pitchers in the second game, with Matt Musta taking the loss after giving up three runs in the first inning. The second game was a contrast for the Gusties from the first game, where pitcher Andy Schmidt pitched a complete-game three-hitter, giving up just one unearned run while striking out three and walking one.

Gustavus scored its first run in the third inning, as Tony Konicek hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Nate Bower. The Auggies tied the game after Stomberg reached base on an error and scored on a single by Ginther in the fourth inning. But Gustavus went ahead for good in the sixth, as a Bower single to center field plated Scherer.

Ginther ptiched 5.2 innings for the Auggies, striking out two while walking six and allowing three hits. Kraft relieved Ginther in the sixth inning.

Augsburg has a nonconference nine-inning single game on Monday (4/18) at 3:30 p.m. at Northwestern-Roseville. Gustavus has an MIAC doubleheader on Wednesday (4/20) at 2:30 p.m. at St. Thomas.