BOXSCORE 1 | BOXSCORE 2 ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Pounding out 15 hits and getting solid pitching performances in both games, the Augsburg College baseball team claimed a doubleheader sweep of Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action on Wednesday afternoon at Concordia-St. Paul's Barnes Field.

Augsburg (22-13 overall, 10-8 MIAC) scored a 3-1 win over Gustavus (13-22 overall, 10-10 MIAC) in the opener, then claimed a 7-0 victory in the nightcap.

With the sweep, Augsburg improved its position in the race for a spot in the six-team, single-elimination MIAC postseason playoffs, which start on Friday (5/10) at Veterans Field in Minnetonka, Minn. Entering the final day of the regular season on Thursday (5/9), the Auggies are one of eight teams that are in contention for the five remaining spots in the playoffs. League regular-season champion St. Thomas finished its conference season at 19-1. 

Augsburg is among four teams that will play on Thursday, with all four teams in the thick of the playoff race. Augsburg will play at St. Olaf (19-14 overall, 8-8 MIAC) at 2:30 p.m., while Concordia-Moorhead (16-14 overall, 9-9 MIAC) will host St. Mary's (19-14 overall, 10-8 MIAC). St. Olaf and St. John's (18-15 overall, 9-9 MIAC) will be unable to play their postponed doubleheader before the end of the regular season. Bethel (23-14 overall, 10-10 MIAC) and Hamline (24-14 overall, 9-11 MIAC) have completed their regular seasons.

In the first game, the Auggies received a strong pitching effort from Ryan Mestnik (SO, Prior Lake, Minn.), who struck out five while walking three and allowing just three hits and a first-inning run, improving to 2-1 on the season. Tyler Beck (JR, Fairmont, Minn.) pitched a scoreless seventh inning to earn his second save of the year.

The Auggies scored twice in the fourth inning to take a 2-1 lead. Louie LaChapelle (SR, Eagan, Minn.) drove home Ryan Sward (SR, Eagan, Minn.) on an RBI single, and Billy Brookshaw (FY, Prescott, Wis.) plated Paul Hallgren (SR, Savage, Minn./Bloomington Jefferson HS) on an RBI single. The Auggies scored another run in the sixth inning, when Abe Welckle (JR, Minneapolis, Minn./South HS) doubled, and his pinch-runner, Scott Livermore (FY, Stillwater, Minn.), came around to score on a throwing error following a sacrifice bunt attempt.

The Gusties scored their lone run in the first inning, when Tim Miller (SR, Eden Prairie, Minn.) singled and came around to score on an RBI groundout by Scott Benjamin (JR, Northfield, Minn.). Miller pitched a complete-game effort for the Gusties, strikin gout three while walking one.

Brent Kolbow (SR, Forest Lake, Minn.) went 2-for-4 for the Auggies in the first game, while Benjamin went 2-for-4 for the Gusties.

In the second game, Augsburg starter Ryan Minder (SO, Maplewood, Minn./Roseville HS) and reliever Tanner Oakes (SO, Jordan, Minn.) combined for the shutout win, with Minder striking out three while walking four and allowing just one hit in four innings of work for the win, and Oakes striking out three while not walking a batter and allowing just three hits for a three-inning save.

Augsburg sent 10 batters to the plate in the third inning, scoring six runs on five hits and an error. Kolbow hit an RBI single, Gordon Kappers (SO, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) hit an RBI double, Welckle hit a three-run double off the right-field fence, and Brookshaw completed the inning with an RBI single. The Auggies scored another run in the fifth inning, when Adam Carl (JR, Eagan, Minn.) singled, advanced to third on a double by LaChapelle, and scored following a fielding error.

Kappers and Gary Mariscal (JR, Savage, Minn./Prior Lake HS) had two hits each for the Auggies in the second game, while Benjamin and Neil Engler (FY, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) had two hits each for the Gusties.

Wednesday's doubleheader was the final regular-season home twinbill for seven Augsburg seniors -- Hallgren, Kolbow, LaChapelle, Sward, Eren Cur (SR, Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS), Brian Moynihan (SR, Melbourne, Fla./Fordham Prep (N.Y.) HS) and Zach Pavlisick (SR, Phoenix, Ariz./Central HS).