MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Macalester College baseball team split a pair of non-conference games against Robert Morris University of Chicago Monday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Scots (3-1) won the first game, 19-6 before the Eagles (5-10) took Game 2, 1-0.

The Macalester bats were on fire in the first game, racking up 22 hits and 19 runs in a 19-6 victory. The Scots scored at least one run in each of the seven innings, exploding for four runs in the top of the first inning, five runs in the third inning and four more in the fourth. Sophomore Jared Abelson (Herndon, Va./South Lakes) went 4-for-5 with a double, four runs, three runs batted in and a stolen base. Juniors Nick McMullen (Payson, Ariz./Payson) and Collin Brantner (Farmington, Conn./Kingswood Oxford) both went 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs, while sophomore Craig Burke (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) had three hits and two RBIs.

Sophomore Cole Chang (Pleasantville, N.Y./Collegiate School) started on the mound and gave up one run on three hits in three innings, with junior Brendan O'Connor (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) pitching one scoreless inning of relief to earn the win.  

Unlike the opener, Game 2 was a pitcher's duel between Dylan Edwards-Gaherty (New York, N.Y./American Studies) and RMU's Eric Ryan. The only run of the game came in the top of the fifth, when Matt Cole led off the inning with a home run down the right field line. The Scots recorded a hit in each of the first four innings but never advanced a runner past first base. Ryan held Macalester to those four hits while striking out 11 and walking none in a complete-game shutout. Edwards-Gaherty was almost as solid, allowing one run on six hits while fanning eight without a walk in 6 1/3 innings. Abelson, McMullen, senior Peter Bertel (Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest) and first year Carl Francalangia (West Hartford, Conn./The Loomis-Chaffee School) had the hits for the Scots.

Macalester will play 10 games in Tucson, Ariz., at the Tucson Invitational, beginning with a doubleheader against Lewis & Clark College on Mar. 11.