Baseball 5/1/08 -- St. Thomas 4-5, Augsburg 1-2
CLICK HERE FOR GAME 1 STATISTICS
CLICK HERE FOR GAME 2 STATISTICS
CLICK HERE FOR AUGSBURG SEASON STATISTICS
MINNEAPOLIS (5/1/08) -- Dan Leslie (JR, West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) hit two doubles for the University of St. Thomas, including a key two-run double in the sixth inning of the first game, while Erik Olson (JR, De Pere, Wis./West De Pere HS) pitched in relief in both games, picking up the save in the first game and the win in the second game, as the Tommies swept host Augsburg College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at Parade Stadium.
The Tommies (25-7 overall, 14-2 MIAC), ranked No. 21 in the latest American Baseball Coaches Association Division III national poll, swept Augsburg (16-16 overall, 8-8 MIAC) by scores of 4-1 and 5-2.
Donald Blunt (FY, Richfield, Minn.) led the way for Augsburg, going 3-for-3 with a double and RBI in the second game. Brian Olson (JR, Cottage Grove, Minn./Park HS) went 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored, while Al Davis (FY, St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS) went 2-for-4 with a double. Craig Henry (SO, Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Erik Olson pitched two innings of relief in the first game, striking out two of the six batters he faced, then pitched 4.2 innings of relief in the second game, striking out four while walking two and allowing seven hits. Zach Neubauer (SO, Princeton, Minn.) picked up the pitching win for the Tommies in the first game, striking out three while walking two in three innings of relief.
Augsburg pitchers surrendered just five earned runs among the nine scored by the Tommies, as the Auggies committed three errors in the first game and two in the second. Starter Sam Weber (SO, Arden Hills, Minn./Mounds View HS) struck out two while walking three in 5.1 innings of work, with Shawn Sanders (JR, St. Charles, Minn.) pitching 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. In the second game, Cole Oosterhuis (FY, White Bear Lake, Minn.) started and allowed just three hits and one earned run in four innings of work. Alex Gustafson (JR, Anoka, Minn.) struck out two in two innings, and Brian Olson struck out one in an inning of relief.
An RBI single by Eric Fleming (SR, Orono, Minn.) plated the first run of the first game for the Tommies in the second inning, and an RBI single by Brian Schmitz (JR, Lakeville, Minn./North HS) plated another run in the third. Leslie's two-run double followed in the top of the sixth, and Augsburg put its run on the board in the bottom of the frame, as a Mike Zaun * (SR, Mendota Heights, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) sacrifice fly plated Jeff Stomberg * (SR, Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS).
In the second game, Augsburg outhit St. Thomas by an 11-9 margin, but stranded 11 runners on base compared to five for St. Thomas. Chris Bullis (SR, Waconia, Minn.) led the way for the Tommies with a 3-for-4 performance, driving in two runs. Matt Olson (SO, Ramsey, Minn./Anoka HS) and Tim Kahle (FY, Franklin, Wis./Milwaukee Marquette HS) each went 2-for-2 and scored two runs.
The Auggies scored first in the first inning, as a Henry single plated Stomberg, who opened the game with a leadoff walk. But the Tommies scored single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings -- on a sacrifice fly in the third, an error on a failed pickoff attempt in the fourth and on a single by Bullis in the fifth. Augsburg cut the lead to 3-2 on an RBI single by Blunt in the sixth inning, but the Tommies scored twice in the seventh inning on RBI singles by Matt Pexa (SR, New Prague, Minn.) and Bullis.
Augsburg returns to MIAC play on Sunday (5/4) at 1 p.m., with a doubleheader at Gustavus. St. Thomas returns to MIAC play on Saturday (4/3) at 1 p.m., hosting Carleton in a doubleheader.
