Baseball 4/18/05 -- Augsburg 7, Northwestern-Roseville 2

GAME BOXSCORE

ROSEVILLE, Minn. (4/18/05) -- Jeff Stomberg (Fr., Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) went 3-for-6 with two runs scored and two runs batted in, and Eric Grant (Jr., Coon Rapids, Minn.) struck out four in six innings of pitching to pick up the win, as visiting Augsburg College scored a 7-2 victory over Northwestern College-Roseville in a nonconference baseball game Monday afternoon at Reynolds Field.

Darren Ginther (Jr., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) went 3-for-5 with a run-scoring triple and Mike Zaun (Fr., Mendota Heights, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) hit his first collegiate home run for the Auggies, who improved to 15-12 overall with the win. With 11 games remaining in the regular season, Augsburg is just one win away from matching last year's victory total (16-22).

Augsburg claimed 10 hits off of three Northwestern (9-13 overall) pitchers and took advantage of six Eagle errors in the victory. Augsburg also played solid defense, with its third straight errorless game.

Ginther's first-inning triple to right field put the Auggies on the board in the first inning, driving in Stomberg. Northwestern tied the game in the second, as Peter Cameron singled and later scored on a groundout by Andy Evensen.

The Auggies regained the lead for good in the fifth inning, as Ginther singled and later scored after Aaron Hazen (So., Burnsville, Minn.) reached base on a fielding error. Zaun's solo homer in the sixth put the Auggies ahead 3-1. Zaun went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

In the eighth, Augsburg scored four runs. With the bases loaded, Stomberg hit a single to right which, combined with a throwing error, cleared the bases. Matt Johnson (So., Plymouth, Minn./Osseo HS) then singled to drive home Stomberg with the Auggies' final run. Northwestern added a run in the ninth, as Erik Overson doubled and scored on a groundout by Gabe Eikum.

Grant pitched six innings for the Auggies to score his second win of the season, striking out four while not walking a batter and only allowing five hits. Adam Johnson (Jr., Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) pitched three innings of relief to earn the save, striking out two.

Leif Borg took the loss for Northwestern, striking out three in four innings of work. Andy Price and Jay Prueter also pitched for the Eagles. Cameron, Eikum and Matt Rippentrop had two hits apiece for the Eagles.

Augsburg returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Saturday (4/23) with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Carleton. Northwestern has an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference doubleheader at Crown on Tuesday (4/19) at 2 p.m.