ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Macalester College baseball team continued its push towards a playoff spot with two victories over Gustavus, 6-2 and 4-3 in a MIAC doubleheader Friday afternoon at Nicholson Field. The Scots (18-10) now hold sole possession of fourth place in the conference with an 8-4 record in league play. The Gusties (17-11) fall into sixth at 5-5 in the MIAC.

In Game 1, Gustavus scored twice in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. The score remained the same until the bottom of the fourth, when senior Quentin Stuart (Nashville, Ind./Nashville) blasted his team-leading fifth home run, a two-run shot that plated sophomore Graham Low (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) to tie the game at 2-2. Then with two on in the fifth it was Low's turn to leave the park with a three-run homer that put the Scots ahead, 5-2. Both homers came with two outs. Macalester added an insurance run in the seventh, when Stuart came home from third on a bunt by sophomore Jared Abelson (Herndon, Va./South Lakes).

First year pitcher Matthew Plisko (Alpharetta, Ga./Pace Academy) went the distance on the mound, allowing two runs on nine hits while walking two and striking out four in seven innings to improve to 5-2. Junior Alex Baretta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) went 3-for-4 with two doubles, while Abelson, Low and Stuart each had two hits.

Macalester struck first in the second game, with Abelson singling home Stuart in the bottom of the third for a 1-0 lead. In the top of the fifth, Josh Chatfield hit a two-run double to give the Gusties a 2-1 edge. Again Low responded with a two-run single in the sixth that plated Baretta and junior Collin Brantner (Farmington, Conn./Kingswood Oxford) to put the Scots up, 3-2. Chatfield drove in his third run of the game with a single in the top of the sixth to tie the score at 3-3. In the bottom of the seventh, Abelson hit a two-out double to left center that allowed first year Carl Francalangia (West Hartford, Conn./Loomis-Chaffee) to score from first with the go-ahead run.

After senior Brendan O'Connor (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) retired Gustavus in order in the eighth, the Gusties put runners at second and third with one out in the ninth. Junior Nick McMullen (Payson, Ariz./Payson) induced a ground ball hit back to him on the mound, and he chased down the runner at third for the second out. Still with runners on second and third, McMullen got the final batter to fly out to right field, ending the game and completing the sweep.

Senior Dylan Edwards-Gaherty (New York, N.Y./American Studies) started on the mound and gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. O'Connor pitched two shutout innings with two hits and three strikeouts to earn the win, while McMullen retired the final two batters for his fourth save of the season.

Macalester continues conference play with a doubleheader at Saint Mary's University on Saturday, Apr. 22. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. in Winona, Minn.