WINONA, Minn. – Fueled by the first career multi-home run performance by Steven Salz (JR, Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS), the Augsburg University baseball team earned a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader split with Saint Mary's University on Thursday afternoon at Max Molock Field.

THE BASICS
SCORES: Augsburg 6, Saint Mary's 3; Saint Mary's 5, Augsburg 3
LOCATION: Max Molock Field, Winona, Minn.
RECORD: Augsburg 11-16 overall (3-7 MIAC), Saint Mary's 15-14 overall (7-5 MIAC)

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS
• The Cardinals got on the board first with a sacrifice fly that scored one run in the bottom of the first, but Salz quickly answered with a solo home run, his first of the season, in the top of the second to tie it up at 1-1.
• Jack Baumgart (SR, Willmar, Minn./Willmar HS) gave the Auggies their first lead of the day, driving in both Connor Stoik (JR, Eau Claire, Wis./Eau Claire Memorial HS) and Carson Tomony (JR, Madison, Wis./Madison East HS) with a single up the middle in the top of the third.
• Salz struck again in the very next at bat, hitting a three-run home run that scored both Baumgart and Michael Weiss (JR, Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar HS) to give the Auggies a 6-2 lead.
• Saint Mary's added one run in the sixth, but that proved to be all the scoring they could muster as they Auggies hung on for the 6-3 win.
• Salz finished the game two-for-three with two home runs, two runs scored, and four RBIs.
• Both Tomony and Michael Weiss were two-for-four with a run scored in the game.
• Austin Jerylo (SR, Stillwater, Minn./Mahtomedi HS) earned the win for the Auggies, moving to 5-2 on the season. He recorded one strikeout while allowing six hits and just two runs in his 4.0 innings on the bump.
• Dylan Irving (SR, New Brighton, Minn./Irondale HS) pitched 1.1 innings of relief, giving up two hits and one run. Stoik picked up the save, striking out one and surrendering just one hit in 1.2 innings of work.
• The offensive efforts were relatively balanced with both teams recording nine hits in the first game of the afternoon.

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS
• It was the Auggies striking first in game one when Tomony came around to score on a Cardinal fielding error in the top of the first. Saint Mary's answered in the bottom half of the inning with four runs to take a 4-1 lead.
• Brandon Lockhart (FY, Oakdale, Minn./Tartan HS) brought the Auggies back within striking distance in the top of the third with a two-run home run that scored Jake Skogrand (FY, Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS) and made it a 4-3 game.
• The Cardinals would tack on another in the fifth for what proved to be the last run of the game, sealing the 5-3 win for Saint Mary's.
• It was a team effort on the mound for the Auggies in game two as five different pitchers made appearances with none going more than 2.0 innings. 
• Derek Albers (JR, Dundas, Minn./Northfield HS) took the loss, allowing four hits and four runs in his one inning of work. 
• Owen Bernards (SO, St. Paul, Minn./Central HS) and Lockhart pitched 2.0 scoreless innings each with Bernards giving up three hits and Lockhart giving up none while striking out four Cardinals. 
• Lockhart had another solid game at the plate, finshing three-for-four with a double and a home run.
 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• With two home runs in game one, Salz became the first Auggie since Eric Olheiser on April 12, 2016 to have a multi-home run game.
• With his seventh triple of the season in game two, Stoik is now tied for first in program history for triples in a single season.

FOR THE FOES 
• Brandon Merfield finished the day five-for-eight with two doubles and a triple.

UP NEXT
• The Auggies will be back in action on Saturday (4/23) with a MIAC doubleheader against Hamline University starting at 1 p.m. at CHS Field in St. Paul.