ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Macalester College baseball team beat Hamline University in Game 1, 7-1 before losing a marathon 13-inning Game 2, 5-4 in a MIAC doubleheader Wednesday at CHS Field. The Scots are now 12-8 overall and 2-2 in the league, while the Pipers are 8-12, 2-2 MIAC.

In the first game, sophomore Graham Low (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) hit a bases-loaded single that plated juniors Alex Baretta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) and Nick McMullen (Payson, Ariz./Payson) in the top of the first inning. Later in the inning, Low's stolen-base attempt allowed junior Collin Brantner (Farmington, Conn./Kingswood Oxford) to score from third for a 3-0 lead. After Hamline answered with a run in the bottom of the first, Macalester put three more runs on the board in the top of the second. A sacrifice bunt by first year Carl Francalangia (West Hartford, Conn./Loomis-Chaffee) brought home senior Quentin Stuart (Nashville, Ind./Nashville), and McMullen hit a two-run triple. Junior Ben Castagnetti (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) made it 7-1 with a single that scored Brantner in the top of the seventh.

First year Matthew Plisko (Alpharetta, Ga./Pace Academy) turned in a solid performance on the mound, holding the Pipers to one run on six hits while striking out five and walking one in a complete-game effort. Castagnetti had two of the Scots' eight hits.

With the score tied, 1-1 in the second game, sophomore Jared Abelson (Herndon, Va./South Lakes) singled to score Stuart in the top of the ninth for a 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, Hamline loaded the bases for Tanner Swenson, who was hit by a pitch, allowing Trey Fails to score the tying run. With the bases still full, senior pitcher Anson Justi (Columbia, Md./McDonogh School) induced a pop-up and a groundout to end the threat and force extra innings.

The Scots looked to end the game in the 10th, as Low hit a sacrifice fly to plate McMullen. Later in the 10th, Stuart doubled home Castagnetti for a 4-2 lead. Again Hamline loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th, tying the game on a walk and a hit batter. The game remained knotted at 4-4 until the bottom of the 13th inning, when a single by Jake Dujmovic brought home Mitch Benson with the game-winning run.

Brantner was 3-for-6  with a RBI and two stolen bases, while Abelson also had three hits. Junior Joe Trier (Madison, Wis./West) started on the mound and allowed one run on four hits while striking out four and walking one in 4 1/3 innings. Senior Sam Thomas (Kansas City, Mo./Pembroke Hill) had a strong outing in relief, pitching 3 2/3 scoreless innings with four hits and five strikeouts.

Macalester hosts a MIAC doubleheader against Augsburg College on Friday, Apr. 7. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Nicholson Field.