COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - The Macalester College baseball team continued its run in the MIAC Playoffs with a 7-6 victory over second-seeded St. Thomas on Friday afternoon at Saint John's Becker Park. The Scots (25-15) will play Bethel for the MIAC Playoff championship and an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament on Saturday, May 13 at 12:00 p.m.

St. Thomas took an early 1-0 lead with a RBI single by Sam Cobbs in the top of the first inning. Macalester responded in the bottom of the first, as sophomore Jared Abelson (Herndon, Va./South Lakes) drew a lead-off walk, and junior Collin Brantner (Farmington, Conn./Kingswood Oxford) followed with a two-run homer, his fourth of the season. In the top of the second, the Tommies tied the score at 2-2 with a home run from Charlie Callahan.

The Scots loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the second, as first year Carl Francalangia (West Hartford, Conn./The Loomis-Chaffee School) and Abelson delivered back-to-back singles and junior Alex Baretta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) was hit by a pitch. Senior Quentin Stuart (Nashville, Ind./Indiana Academy) stepped up with the bases full and blasted a grand slam over the scoreboard in right field for a 6-2 lead. Still in the second, junior Nick McMullen (Payson, Ariz./Payson) walked, stole second and scored on a single by Brantner to make the score 7-2.

Macalester maintained a five-run lead until the top of the seventh, when Hunter Hart hit a two-run single to pull the Tommies to within three, 7-4. Then in the eighth, a hit-batsman and three straight singles resulted in two more runs to make the score 7-6. With runners on first and second and one out, junior Joe Trier (Madison, Wis./West) retired the next two batters on a pair of fly balls to end the inning. Senior Dylan Edwards-Gaherty (New York, N.Y./American Studies) pitched a perfect ninth for his second save of the tournament, sending the Scots to the championship game for the first time in the 18-year history of the MIAC Playoffs.

Sophomore Cole Chang (Pleasantville, N.Y./Collegiate School) started and allowed two runs, one earned, on 10 hits while walking one and fanning two in six innings of work. Stuart went 3-for-5 with the grand slam, while Abelson also had three hits.

Macalester will face Bethel (33-9) in the championship on Saturday. The top-seeded Royals beat Saint John's University, 2-1 Friday afternoon, then eliminated St. Thomas, 3-2 in Friday's second elimination game. The Scots will attempt to win its first MIAC Playoff title and advance to the NCAA Tournament. Game time is 12:00 p.m. at Saint John's Becker Park. If Bethel wins the first game, a second game will be played to determine the winner of the double-elimination tournament.

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 7, No. 2 St. Thomas 6
Game 4: No. 1 Bethel 2, No. 3 Saint John's 1
Game 5: No. 1 Bethel 3, No. 2 St. Thomas 2 

Saturday, May 13
Game 6: No. 4 Macalester vs. No. 1 Bethel, 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/