TUSCON, Ariz. -- Macalester overcame a pair of two-run deficits, scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, to open the 2015 campaign with a 5-4 win over Concordia (Wis.).
The Falcons open the game with a run in the top of the first and tacked on another run in the fourth to take a 2-0 but, after Concordia starter Tyler Adams had mowed down the first nine batters he faced,
Nick Sia led off the bottom of the fourth inning by tripling to right-center field on the first pitch he saw.
Tom Forster singled him home, one out later, and promptly stole second base. After advancing to third on a ground out by
Quentin Stuart,
Peter Bertel singled up the middle, bringing home Forster with the tying run.
Concordia once again took a two-run lead by scoring a pair of unearned runs in top of the fifth but Scots starter
Joseph Aulisi finished his six-inning outing strong by working an 11-pitch sixth inning, striking out a pair of batters.
Forster led off the bottom of the sixth with a triple to right field and scored on Stuart's sacrifice fly. Down a run and with one out, Bertel singled and scored from first on
Sam Berk's RBI double. A wild pitch would move Berk to third base and he proceeded to score the game-winning run on
Nick Mar's sacrifice fly.
Brendan O'Connor came on in relief of Aulisi in the top of the seventh and, with the aid of a Forster throw out of Joel Sharon to end the inning, faced just six batters in his first two innings before running into trouble in the ninth.
After getting a strikeout to open the inning, a single, a walk and a fielder's choice put the potential tying run on third base but O'Connor did succumb to the pressure. He got Justin Barney to foul off two pitches before getting him on a swinging third strike to end the game.
Sia and Forster both had two hits, including a triple while Bertel and
Alex Baretta also added two hits apiece.
Aulisi's season-opening win saw him allow seven hits over six innings with a walk and five strikeouts. O'Connor followed with three innings of one-hit relief, walking two and striking out three.
The Scots return to action tomorrow when they have a pair of games, opening with a 9 a.m. PST game with the University of Winnipeg and following with a 12:30 p.m. game verxus Carroll University.
