ST. THOMAS GAME BOX | CONCORDIA GAME BOX
MIAC PLAYOFFS WEBPAGE
AUGSBURG PLAYOFF NOTES/WEBCAST LINK
DUNDAS, Minn. –
Adam Seaman (SO, Richfield, Minn.) stroked a solo home run in the first game and a two-run double in the second game, leading Augsburg College to two victories in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball playoffs on Friday at Dundas Memorial Park.
Augsburg (21-20 overall) claimed a 3-2 win over the No. 5-ranked and defending NCAA Division III national champion University of St. Thomas (30-7) in Friday's opener, then scored a 6-1 win over Concordia College-Moorhead (24-16) in the nightcap.
With the victories, Augsburg will advance to Saturday's (5/15) 5 p.m. game in Dundas, facing the winner of the 1 p.m. elimination game between St. Thomas and Concordia. If the Auggies win on Saturday, they would claim the playoff title and receive the MIAC's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III national playoffs. If the Auggies lose, the teams would play again on Sunday (5/16) at 1 p.m. in Dundas, with the winner claiming the league title and the national tourney berth.
Augsburg has reached the NCAA Division III national playoffs twice in school history, with back-to-back berths in the 1986 and 1987 seasons.
AUGSBURG 3, ST. THOMAS 2
Augsburg and St. Thomas have played one-run games each of the three times they have met this season, with the Auggies now claiming wins in two of those contests.
The Auggies took the lead for good in the eighth inning, as Seaman blasted a 1-1 pitch to straightaway center field for his team- and MIAC-high seventh home run.
Augsburg then thwarted two St. Thomas rallies in the final two innings. In the bottom of the eighth, starter
Mark Heise (JR, Foley, Minn.) allowed a leadoff single by St. Thomas' Matt McQuillan (JR, St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS), with McQuillan advancing to third on a stolen base and flyout. But Heise slammed the door on the Tommie rally, forcing a groundout and getting a called third strike to end the frame.
Throwing 103 pitches (68 strikes) over eight innings, his longest performance of the season, Heise struck out two while walking two and allowing seven hits to collect his third win of the year.
In the bottom of the ninth, reliever
Kristofer Ozga (JR, Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Stevenson HS) claimed his fourth save of the season, with the final two outs coming on a shortstop-second-first double play – Augsburg's third 6-4-3 double play of the game.
Heise was matched by St. Thomas starter Kris Edwards (JR, Edina, Minn.), who threw 121 pitches (73 strikes) over eight innings, striking out four while walking four and allowing eight hits.
Augsburg opened the scoring in the fourth inning, as Seaman singled and came around to score on an RBI single by
Donald Blunt (JR, Richfield, Minn.). The Tommies tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, as Roy Larson (SR, Eagan, Minn.) hit a solo homer to left field.
In the fifth inning, the Tommies took the lead, as John Bauer (SR, Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview HS) walked, stole second and eventually scored on an RBI single by Tayler Rahm (JR, Savage, Minn./Holy Angels HS). But the Auggies tied the game in the sixth, as
Craig Henry (SR, Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) singled and scored on a two-out double by
Tom Petersen (SO, Hugo, Minn./White Bear Lake HS), setting the stage for Seaman's eighth-inning heroics.
AUGSBURG 6, CONCORDIA-MOORHEAD 1
Augsburg pitchers
Marshall Nelson (JR, Albertville, Minn./West Lutheran HS),
Alex Glasenapp (SR, Minneapolis, Minn./South HS) and
Bryant Nordby (JR, Brownton, Minn./McLeod West HS) combined to complete a pitching gem against the Cobbers, allowing just two hits in the victory.
Augsburg did not allow a base hit after the third inning, and allowed just three Cobber baserunners – all on walks – over the final six innings. Throwing 100 pitches (61 strikes), Nelson struck out three while walking two. Glasenapp had a strikeout and a walk in two innings of relief, and Nordby completed the Auggie triumph with a scoreless ninth inning.
Meanwhile, Augsburg pounded out nine hits against three Concordia pitchers to claim the victory, the Auggies' seventh win in their last nine games.
The Cobbers' lone run came in the top of the first, as Jake Krause (SR, Moorhead, Minn.) led off the game with a single and came around to score on a groundout by Nick Lewis (SR, Fergus Falls, Minn.).
But after that, Augsburg took command of the game. In the bottom of the second, Petersen doubled and came around to score on a two-out RBI double by
Mason Holmquist (JR, Prior Lake, Minn.). Augsburg sent eight batters to the plate in the third inning, scoring three runs. Seaman drove in
John Demgen (JR, Minneapolis, Minn./South HS) and Henry on a double to right-center, and later scored on a fielding error.
In the seventh inning, the Auggies capped the scoring with two runs.
Tim Gerding (SO, Robbinsdale, Minn./Cooper HS) led off the frame with a double, and after a walk, two runs came across on a double by Henry, combined with a throwing error.
Henry and Gerding had two hits apiece for the Auggies in the game, with Demgen scoring two runs.
