MINNEAPOLIS -- In its season-opening games, the Augsburg University baseball team earned a nonconference doubleheader split with St. Mary's University on Tuesday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

THE BASICS
SCORE: St. Mary's 5, Augsburg 3; Augsburg 4, St. Mary's 2
LOCATION: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
RECORD: Augsburg 1-1 overall, St. Mary's 4-1 overall

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS
• St. Mary's jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first, before the Auggies answered back, scoring three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Steven Salz (SO, Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS) crushed his first career home run over the fence in left center, scoring Kyle Hoppe (SR, Andover, Minn./Andover HS) and Jack Baumgart (JR, Willmar, Minn./Willmar HS). 
• The Cardinals answered back quickly, scoring three more runs in the second inning and taking the 5-3 lead, which would be the games' final runs. 
• Baumgart hit a triple to right center field in the third. Noah Thomas (SO, Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge HS) and Clint Mattson (SO, North Branch, Minn./North Branch HS) had a single each for the Auggies. 
• Three Auggie pitchers worked in the first game, with Dylan Irving (JR, New Brighton, Minn./Irondale HS) getting the start, striking out two in 1.2 innings pitched. Austin Jerylo (JR, Stillwater, Minn./Mahtomedi HS) struck out four in 3.1 innings of relief, and Chase Thomley (SR, St. Paul, Minn./Highland Park HS) made his collegiate pitching debut, striking out two in two innings of relief. 

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS
• Once again, St. Mary's took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Auggies were only able to earn two hits through five innings, with Thomas hitting a single in the third inning and Connor Stoik (SO, Eau Claire, Wis./Eau Claire Memorial HS) getting a single in the fifth. 
• The Augsburg bats came alive in the top of the sixth inning, starting with a single by Hoppe. Baumgart singled through the right side, plating Thomas and Hoppe, tying the game 2-2. Steven Salz (SO, Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS) then singled to right field. Stoik drove a ball deep to right center, earning a triple and scoring the winning runs of Salz and Baumgart. 
• Pitcher Matt Moe (JR, St. Cloud, Minn./Becker HS), earned the win for the Auggies, striking out two batters in three innings of relief. Mathew Nicklay (SR, Hastings, Minn./Hastings HS) got the start on the mound and pitched four innings. No walks were given by Augsburg pitchers in both games. 

FOR THE FOES 
• Justin Weinberg went 4-four-7 in the doubleheader, scoring two runs, to lead St. Mary's. 
• Pitcher, Addison Hochevar, earned the Cardinal win in the first game, striking out eight and not allowing any runs scored in four innings of relief.  

UP NEXT
• Augsburg faces Gustavus Adolphus College in a nonconference doubleheader on Friday (3/19) at 1 p.m. in St. Peter, Minn.