TUCSON, Ariz. - The Macalester College baseball team kicked off its Spring Break trip to Arizona with a doubleheader sweep of Lewis & Clark College at the Tucson Invitational Saturday afternoon at Kino Sports Complex. The Scots (5-1) scored 21 runs and racked up 19 hits in the two victories.

The Pioneers (4-10) struck first in Game 1 with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Macalester responded in the top of the second with three runs on a two-run double by Collin Brantner (Farmington, Conn./Kingswood Oxford) and a run-scoring single from junior Alex Baretta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic). After Lewis & Clark regained the lead on a two-run double from Akira Abderrahman in the bottom of the second, the Scots pushed four runs across in the top of the third to lead 7-4. Baretta plated two runs with a bases-loaded single, while first year Alex Bearden (St. Louis, Mo./Mary Institute Country Day) singled home a run.

In the top of the sixth, Brantner singled to score junior Nick McMullen (Payson, Ariz./Payson), and senior Peter Bertel (Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest) roped a double down the left field line that brought home senior Quentin Stuart (Nashville, Ind./Indiana Academy) and sophomore Graham Low (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) for a commanding 10-4 advantage. The Pioneers mounted a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, scoring four runs to cut the lead to 10-8. But McMullen came on in relief and retired the only batter he faced on the first pitch to end the game.

Sophomore Cole Chang (Pleasantville, N.Y./Collegiate School) settled in after allowing four runs in the first two innings, pitching three scoreless innings. In five innings of work, he gave up four runs, two earned, on five hits while striking out three and walking three to improve to 2-0. Senior Brendan O'Connor (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) also pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

In the second game, Macalester scored three runs in the bottom of the second, including a bases-loaded, two-run single by senior Alex Dash (New York, N.Y./Columbia Grammar & Prep). After Lewis & Clark scored a run in the third, junior Ben Castagnetti (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) hit a two-run single in the fourth to make the score 5-1 Scots. Then in the fifth, first year Carl Francalangia (West Hartford, Conn./The Loomis-Chaffee School) hit a bases-loaded single to plate Brantner. Dash and Baretta followed with bases-loaded walks, and Dash came home on an error for a 10-1 lead. Francalangia closed out the scoring with a double that brought home sophomore Craig Burke (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) in the sixth.

First year Matthew Plisko (Alpharetta, Ga./Pace Academy 19) had a solid day on the mound, allowing an unearned run on four hits while fanning four and walking three in six innings. The effort came in his first collegiate start and victory. Sophomore Zach Anderson (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Twp.) pitched a perfect seventh inning in relief.

Macalester continues play at the Tucson Invitational with a single game against Marian University in Kino Stadium on Sunday, Mar. 12 at 6:30 p.m. Pacific time.