TUCSON, Ariz. – The Macalester College baseball team continued play at the Tucson Invitational with an 8-6 loss to Salem State Monday night at the Kino Sports Complex. The Scots drop to 4-4 on the season, while the Vikings improve to 6-2.

Macalester answered a pair of Salem State runs in the top of the second inning with three runs in the bottom of the second. Senior Ben Castagnetti (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) singled home senior Nick McMullen (Payson, Ariz./Payson) and later scored on a double by junior Sam Goldberg (N. Potomac, Md./Thomas S. Wootton), who came home on an error for a 3-2 lead. Over the next two innings, Salem State scored five runs on six hits and an error to take control of the game with a 7-3 advantage.

The Scots were not done, however. Senior Collin Brantner (Farmington, Conn./Kingswood Oxford) led off the bottom of the fourth with a triple. Castagnetti and Goldberg walked to load the bases for first year Jack Sahargun (Coto de Caza, Calif./Tesoro), who hit a fly ball to center that allowed Brantner to score. Sophomore Alex Bearden (St. Louis, Mo./Mary Institute Country Day) followed with a two-run single that made the score 7-6. Bearden advanced to third with two out in the fourth and the sixth innings, but was stranded both times.

In the top of the seventh, Salem State added a run on a bases-loaded single to push the lead to 8-6. Macalester registered back-to-back singles by Bearden and junior Jared Abelson (Herndon, Va./South Lakes) to lead off the bottom of the ninth. But relief pitcher Joshua Bell retired the next three batters to end the game. Bearden went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs batted in.

First year pitcher Kieran Liming (Alpharetta, Ga./South Forsyth) came on in relief in the fourth inning and held the Vikings to one run on one hit while striking out four and walking two in 3 1/3 innings. Junior Zach Anderson (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) also had a strong relief appearance, allowing one hit while fanning three without a walk in 2 1/3 innings.

The Scots return to action on Wednesday, Mar. 14 with a game against Marian University at 2:30 p.m. Pacific at the Kino Sports Complex.