MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Stellar pitching performances highlighted Macalester's upset sweep of Augsburg in the teams' 2015 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference finale.
Joseph Aulisi turned in a career-best effort as he allowed just four hits and one unearned runs in earning the victory in the Scots' 3-1 game one win. He walked one and struck out four before turning the ball over to
Brendan O'Connor, the MIAC's ERA leader, who worked a scoreless seventh inning to earn the save.
Macalester took an early 1-0 lead when
Quentin Stuart delivered a one-out home run, his team-leading eighth of the season and the Scots added to that lead in the third when
Ben Castagnetti reached on an error, advanced to second on
Jonathan Melms' sacrifice bunt and scored on a
Nick Mar single.
While Aulisi was mowing down the Auggies, allowing just three base runners in the first four innings, he offense manufactured another run in the fifth as
Scott Foltz reached base on a wild pitch after he had struck out. Melms' base hit advanced Foltz to third and he scored on a suicide squeeze bunt by Mar when Augsburg was unable to get the out at home.
Augsburg finally got to Aulisi in the sixth inning when a two-out error allowed Godon Kappers, who had reached on a ground-rule double, to score.
After earning the save in game one, O'Connor started game two but gave up five runs on seven hits in three innings before being relieved by
Dylan Edwards-Gaherty, who also turned in a career-best performance.
Jonathan Melms played flawless defense and went 4-for-5 with four RBI in the two wins over Augsburg.Trailing 5-3 when he took to the mound to start the bottom of the fourth inning, Edwards-Gaherty went on to pitch six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and five walks while striking out a career-high nine batters.
His efforts allowed the Scots to overcome the early deficit and a three-run sixth inning, which saw
Tom Forster drive in Melms and
Peter Bertel with the tying and go-ahead runs, and
Sam Berk delivered an RBI single which plated
Phillip Stuhr and, in the seventh, Macalester added an insurance run when Melms' third hit of the game drove in Bertel, who had doubled for the second time in the game.
Melms' three hits tied a career high and his four RBI were a career best. He also walked and scored a run in the game.
The wins allowed Macalester to finish 3-15 in conference play and the Scots have now won six of their last seven games. They will close out the 2015 campaign, Monday, when they host Augsburg in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
