Baseball 4/24/07 -- Augsburg 6-4, St. John's 1-2 

GAME 1 BOXSCORE 
GAME 2 BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (4/24/07) -- Jason Kickhafer (So., Cottage Grove, Minn./Park HS) struck out seven while allowing one run in a complete-game effort in the first game, while Jon-Eric Urseth (So., Golden Valley, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) collected four strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work in the second game, as the Augsburg College baseball team swept visiting St. John's University in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader on Tuesday at Parade Stadium.

Augsburg (15-16 overall, 7-7 MIAC) won the first game 6-1 and the second game 4-2 to remain in the hunt for one of the four berths in the MIAC postseason playoffs, with six conference games remaining. St. John's is now 16-13 overall, 9-5 in MIAC play.

In the first game, Kickhafer was in command throughout, allowing just six St. John's hits while walking only four to improve to 4-4 on the season. He threw 109 pitches, 70 for strikes, en route to the victory.

Meanwhile, Augsburg took advantage of seven doubles and scored runs in all but one inning in the game. Dusty Hinz (So., Richfield, Minn.) doubled and scored after a fielding error in the first inning. Back-to-back doubles by Rick Andersen (Jr., Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) and Eric Olson * (Fr., New Prague, Minn.) scored a run in the second inning. Craig Henry (Fr., Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) doubled and scored on a groundout by Aaron Hazen (Sr., Burnsville, Minn.) in the third.

In the fourth, Jeff Stomberg (Jr., Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) singled, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by Mark Bauer (Sr., Hastings, Minn.). In the sixth, Augsburg scored twice, as back-to-back doubles by Stomberg and Bauer brought home two runs. Andy Nelson * (Sr., Waseca, Minn.) also had a double in the game for the Auggies.

Henry, Andersen and Stomberg had two hits each in the first game, while Bauer had three RBI.

St. John's scored its lone run in the third inning, as Ryan Sufka (Jr., St. Joseph, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral HS) walked and scored on a fielder's choice by Jay Kasner (Sr., Rochester, Minn./Lourdes HS). Kasner had two hits in the game for the Johnnies.

Bryan Flood (So., Richfield, Minn.) started for St. John's and was charged with the loss, pitching four innings. Alex Wahl (So., Plymouth, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's HS) pitched two innings of relief.

In the second game, Augsburg's Urseth claimed four strikeouts while walking one and allowing six hits in 6.1 innings of work to score the win, improving to 3-3 on the season. Reliever Tyler Kraft * (Sr., Savage, Minn./Burnsville HS) pitched in the seventh inning to claim his second save of the year.

Meanwhile, Johnnie pitcher Michael Crees (So., Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) tossed a complete-game, striking out eight while walking one and allowing six hits, but was charged with the loss.

In the first inning, Augsburg scored twice, as Ricky Schreier * (Sr., St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS) and Nelson singled, and after each advanced on a balk, they came across on a groundout by Henry and a single by Hazen.

The Johnnies tied the game in the top of the second, as RBI singles by Brandon Royce-Diop (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle HS) and Sufka brought home Jeff Ostrom (Sr., St. Anthony Village, Minn.) and Shawn Schoenberg (Sr., Melrose, Minn.).

But Augsburg took the lead for good in the bottom of the second. Stomberg walked, stole second and scored on an infield single by Schreier. Schreier advanced a base on a balk and scored on an infield single by Henry.

After that, it was a pitcher's duel for most of the game. Urseth retired nine batters in a row for the Auggies midway through the game, while Crees retired the last 13 batters he faced in the game, including six by strikeout. Crees ended up throwing 111 pitches, including 74 strikes.

The Johnnies had a threat in the seventh, loading the bases on two singles and an error with two outs, but Kraft forced a groundout to end the game.

Schreier had two hits for the Auggies, while Royce-Diop and Sufka had two hits each for the Johnnies.

Augsburg returns to action on Saturday (4/28) at 2:30 p.m. with an MIAC doubleheader at Macalester. St. John's is back in action on Thursday (4/26) with a 4:15 p.m. nonconference nine-inning game against St. Cloud State.