ST. PAUL, Minn. -- With the wind gusting to left and both teams hitting the ball, it was Macalester errors that proved costly in game one and an 11-run fourth inning gave St. Thomas a big lead in game two before it was halted due to lightning.
Four Scot errors led to four uneared runs in game one as St. Thomas scored six times in its final three at bats to post a 10-5 win in game one of twin bill and the Tommies plated 11 runs in fourth inning of game two to break a 3-3 tie but the game was halted after the top of the sixth inning with the visitors holding a 21-8 lead.
The Tommies struck first with a single run in the third inning of game one but Macalester resonded with with a run in the bottom of the third as
Jonathan Melms was hit by a pitch with one out, followed by a base hit by
Nick Mar and back-to-back walks to
Alex Baretta and
Tom Forster.
St. Thomas regained the lead by scoring three times in the top of the fourth but, once again, the Scots answered when
Quentin Stuart led off with a base hit and
Ben Castagnetti walked. A sacrifice bunt by
Scott Foltz preceded Melms being hit by a pitch again, prompting a pitching change and Mar greeted Drew Molin with a two-run single.
Sam Berk would go on to drive in Melms with the trying run with an RBI single.
The Tommies would reach
Brendan O'Connor for a pair of runs before
Forest Redlin came on to finish the final two innings, giving up the final four runs, just one of which was earned.
Forster and Mar both finished the game with two hits and two RBI while
Phillip Stuhr came off the bench and added a pair of hits in two plate appearances.
Game two turned into a slugfest early with the teams tied 3-3 after two innings.
The Tommies then plated 11 runs in the fourth inning before Macalester answered with five runs of its own as
Greg Suber doubled to open the inning,
Nick Sia singled and a double by Castagnetti drove in one run.
Phil Wettersten then hit his first career home run, a three-run shot and, one out later,
Alex Baretta added his first care home run.
However, the Tommies would add two more runs in the fifth and five in the sixth before umpires halted the game due to lightning.
Per MIAC and NCAA rules, the game is suspended and will be resume from the point at which it was halted. The teams are scheduled to finish the game beginning at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, at Nicholson Field.
