Baseball 4/2/05 -- Augsburg 1-0, St. Olaf 0-2

GAME 1 BOXSCORE
GAME 2 BOXSCORE

CANNON FALLS, Minn. (4/2/05) -- Tim Wahl (So., Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS) hit a pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Augsburg College a 1-0 first-game victory over St. Olaf College, while the Oles used a three-hit shutout by Eric Tobias (Jr., Prescott, Wis.) to claim a 2-0 St. Olaf victory in the second game, as the teams split a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at John Burch Park.

With the win in the first game, Augsburg broke a six-season, 11-game losing streak to the Oles, scoring just its third win over St. Olaf since the 1995 season (3-19). It was Augsburg's first win over St. Olaf since a 3-2 triumph on May 1, 1999.

Augsburg is now 9-7 overall, while St. Olaf is now 8-8 overall. It was the first MIAC games for both teams this season. The Augsburg home games were moved to Cannon Falls due to field condition concerns at Augsburg's normal home field, Parade Stadium in Minneapolis.

Darren Ginther (Jr., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) pitched a three-hit shutout for Augsburg in the first game, striking out four while walking just one. It was Ginther's second shutout in his three seasons as an Auggie. St. Olaf could not advance a runner past second base against Ginther in the game, and grounded into one double play.

Augsburg had six hits in the first game, but stranded six runners in the game, including two on base in the fourth inning. Taylor Pagel (Sr., Cannon Falls, Minn.), playing in his hometown, went 2-for-3 for the Auggies.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Pagel led off with a single, and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Andrew Werner (Fr., Vermillion, Minn./Hastings HS). Pagel was replaced on the bases by pinch-runner Ryan Stockhaus (So., Columbia Heights, Minn./De La Salle HS). On the first pitch from St. Olaf pitcher Will Huepenbecker (Jr., Madison, Wis./Edgewood HS) to Augsburg pinch-hitter Wahl, Wahl stroked a single off the left-field fence to drive in Stockhaus with the winning run.

Huepenbecker struck out five while allowing one walk in the first-game loss for the Oles.

In the second game, Tobias struck out four while walking two in his three-hit shutout pitching performance for the Oles, also taking advantage of two St. Olaf double-plays. Augsburg had a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, getting runners at second and third with nobody out, but Tobias forced two strikeouts and a groundout to end the Auggie threat.

St. Olaf took the lead for good in the top of the sixth inning, as Andrew Schmiesing (Fr., Stillwater, Minn.) singled and scored from first on a double to right-center by Tony DeLaHunt (Sr., Apple Valley, Minn.). The Oles added an insurance run in the seventh inning, as Brian Astry (So., Eden Prairie, Minn.) singled to drive in pinch-runner Josh Maus (Fr., Northfield, Minn.).

Both Schmiesing and Hunt went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Oles in the second game.

Augsburg pitcher Jeremy Nelson (Sr., Maplewood, Minn./Roseville HS) struck out five while not walking a batter adn allowing seven hits in six innings of work. Tyler Kraft (So., Savage, Minn./Burnsville HS) pitched in relief for the Auggies.

Augsburg returns to MIAC action on Wednesday (2/6) at 2:30 p.m. with a doubleheader at Bethel, then come home next Saturday (2/9) at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader against St. John's at Parade Stadium. St. Olaf has Wednesday off and returns to action next Saturday at 1 p.m., hosting Macalester in a league doubleheader.