COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - The Macalester College baseball team opened the MIAC Playoffs with a 5-3 victory over top-seeded Bethel University Thursday night at Saint John's Becker Park. The Scots (24-15), who are the tournament's No. 4 seed, will play second-seeded St. Thomas in a winner's bracket game on Friday, May 12 at Becker Park.
Macalester took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a double by junior
Collin Brantner (Farmington, Conn./Kingswood Oxford) that plated junior
Alex Baretta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic). In the top of the fourth inning, the Scots loaded the bases on a walk and singles by junior
Nick McMullen (Payson, Ariz./Payson) and sophomore
Graham Low (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont). After a strikeout, a dropped fly ball allowed McMullen and Brantner to score for a 3-0 lead. Another fly ball by first year
Carl Francalangia (West Hartford, Conn./The Loomis-Chaffee School) plated Low to put Macalester ahead, 4-0.
McMullen added to the Scots' lead with a solo home run in the top of the fifth. It was McMullen's fifth homer of the season. Bethel answered in the bottom of the fifth with three runs, including a two-run triple by Joey Fredric, to make the score 5-3. First year pitcher
Matthew Plisko (Alpharetta, Ga./Pace Academy) prevented the Royals from an even bigger inning, getting a groundout to strand Fredric at third and end the threat.
Bethel put runners in scoring position in each of the final four innings but the Macalester pitching held each time. Senior
Anson Justi (Columbia, Md./McDonogh School) relieved Plisko in the sixth with runners on first and third, inducing a ground ball to end the inning. Senior
Dylan Edwards-Gaherty (New York, N.Y./American Studies) relieved Justi in the eighth with two runners on and recorded a strikeout and foul out. The Royals put runners on first and third with two out in the ninth before Edwards-Gaherty induced another groundout to end the game.
The victory is Macalester's first win in the first round of the MIAC Playoffs in three appearances.
Plisko improved to 7-2, allowing three runs on six hits while walking four and striking out two in 5 2/3 innings of work. Just gave up one hit and two walks with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. Edwards-Gaherty pitched the final 1 2/3 innings and did not allow a run on two hits to earn the save. Bethel starter Michael Willman took the loss after giving up four runs on four hits in four innings. McMullen and sophomore
Jared Abelson (Herndon, Va./South Lakes) each had two hits to lead the offense.
The Scots, who split with St. Thomas during the regular season, will face the Tommies in the winner's bracket on Friday at 3:00 p.m. at Becker Park.
2017 MIAC Baseball Playoffs, hosted by Saint John's University
Thursday, May 11
Game 1: No. 4 Macalester 5, No. 1 Bethel 3
Game 2: No. 2 St. Thomas 1, No. 3 Saint John's 0
Friday, May 12
Game 3: No. 4 Macalester vs. No. 2 St. Thomas, 3:00 p.m. at Becker Park
Game 4: No. 1 Bethel vs. No. 3 Saint John's, 3:00 p.m. at Cold Spring
Game 5: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 7:00 p.m. at Becker Park
Saturday, May 13
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5, 12:00 p.m. at Becker Park
Game 7 if necessary, 3:00 p.m. at Becker Park
Live stats and video for all games can be found here:
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/csbsju/
