MINNEAPOLIS – With 39 total runs scored across two high-scoring games, the Augsburg University baseball team dropped a pair of Minnesota Intercollegiate Conference contests to Macalester College on a windy Tuesday afternoon at Parade Stadium.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Macalester 9, Augsburg 5; Macalester 15, Augsburg 10
LOCATION: Parade Stadium, Minneapolis, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 7-20 overall (4-11 MIAC), Macalester 17-17 overall (9-11 MIAC)

GAME ONE RECAP
• After the Scots opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first, the Auggies took what would prove to be their only lead of the game with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Michael Weiss (SR, Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar HS) tied the game at one each when he batted in Clint Mattson (SR, North Branch, Minn./North Branch HS) and Adam Marshall (SO, Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS) made it 2-1 Augsburg with a triple to right field that scored Steven Salz (SR, Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS).
• Macalester used the next three innings to regain and expand the lead, scoring one in the second, two in the third, and five in the fourth to take a 9-2 lead.
• The Auggies showed resilience with a strong effort in the fifth, starting with a triple by Weiss that brought both Connor Stoik (SR, Eau Claire, Wis./Eau Claire Memorial HS) and Mattson around to score. Just one batter later, Salz hit a sacrifice fly to plate Weiss and cut the deficit to four.
• The Auggie offense went cold from there, however, as the Scots retired seven in a row to claim the four-run win.
• Vinny Rupp (FY, Salt Lake City, Utah/Skyline HS) started the game on the mound and took the loss, allowing five hits and four earned runs with two strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Kell Piggott (FY, Superior, Wis./Superior HS) recorded the following four outs, giving up four hits and four earned runs with one strikeout. Sean Littmann (SO, Bloomington, Minn./Bloomington HS) pitched 2.1 innings of relief, fanning two Scots while allowing two hits and a run. Matty Rones (SR, Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman HS) pitched the final inning, striking out two while allowing just one hit and holding Macalester scoreless.

GAME TWO RECAP
• Though game two eventually turned into a high-scoring slugfest, the first inning gave no indication with six of the game's first seven batters going down in order after the leadoff batter reached on a fielding error. The Scots would go on to break the scoreless tie with three runs in the second.
• Isaac Flynn (SR, Hastings, Minn./Hastings HS) got the scoring started for the Auggies in the bottom of the second when he singled to score Marshall. After Brandon Lockhart (SO, Oakdale, Minn./Tartan HS) drew a walk to load the bases, Noah Thomas (SR, Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge HS) followed him up with a single to score Carson Tomony (SR, Madison, Wis./Madison East HS). With the bases still loaded, Macalester pitcher Ben King was charged with a balk that scored Flynn to tie the game and advanced the other two runners. In the following at bat, Mattson hit a sacrifice fly to deep center that allowed Lockhart to score and give the Auggies a 4-3 lead.
• The Scots offense exploded in the third frame scoring seven runs to regain the advantage at 10-4.
• The Auggies would get four back in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit to just two with Marshall, Lockhart, and Mattson each hitting RBI singles and Thomas batting in another on a fielder's choice.
• Macalester kept its foot on the gas in the top of the fourth, scoring five runs to open a 15-8 lead.
• In the fifth inning, Stoik was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score a run and pull the Auggies within six. Mattson gave Augsburg its final run in the seventh with a single through the right side that scored Lockhart. Both teams went scoreless in the final two innings as the Scots cruised to the 15-10 victory to complete the sweep.
• Mattson, Tomony, and Lockhart each had multi-hit efforts in game two, with all three finishing 2-for-3 at the plate.
• Jake Skogrand (SO, Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS) struggled to find outs in his 2.2 innings on the mound as Augsburg's game-two starter, allowing nine hits and 10 runs with two strikeouts. Luke Johnson (SR, Northfield, Minn./Northfield HS) pitched 5.1 innings of relief, allowing six hits and five runs with four strikeouts. Jake Pittelkow (FY, Roseville, Minn./Simley HS) made his collegiate debut in the top of the ninth, coming in with the bases loaded and retiring three straight batters.
 
FOR THE FOES
• A trio of Scots had three or more hits in game two with Nico Alexander going 3-for-6, Erik Hager finishing 3-for-5, and Bowman Wingard going 4-for-5.

UP NEXT
• The Auggies will continue a busy final week of play at St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn. tomorrow with a doubleheader set for a 2:30 pm first pitch.