TUCSON, Ariz. – A four-run first inning combined with solid pitching helped the Macalester College baseball team defeat Marian University, 7-2 Wednesday afternoon at the Tucson Invitational. The Scots are now 5-4 on the season, while the Sabres fall to 2-7.

In the bottom of the first inning, senior Collin Brantner (Farmington, Conn./Kingswood Oxford) hit a one-out double down the right field line that plated senior Alex Baretta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) and junior Jared Abelson (Herndon, Va./South Lakes). Senior Ben Castagnetti (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) followed with a triple to deep center to drive in Brantner. With two out in the first, junior Sam Goldberg (N. Potomac, Md./Thomas S. Wootton) also hit a triple over the centerfielder's head to score Castagnetti and put the Scots ahead, 4-0.

Marian pushed two runs across in the top of the fourth to cut the lead in half, 4-2. In the bottom of the fifth, Brantner hit another RBI double that brought home senior Nick McMullen (Payson, Ariz./Payson) for a 5-2 lead. Then in the seventh, Baretta singled home Abelson to extend the lead to 6-2. Still in the seventh and with two outs, Brantner walked, stole second and came home on a double by Castagnetti to make the score 7-2 Scots. Brantner finished with two doubles and three RBIs, while Castagnetti had three hits and two RBIs.

Macalester received three strong outings from its pitchers, as sophomore Jacob Simpson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Berkeley Carroll School) started and blanked the Sabres on two hits and two strikeouts over three innings. Senior Sean O'Brien (Potomac, Md./Landon School) pitched two innings of relief and gave up two runs, one earned, and one hit while walking two and fanning two. First year Alex Denzler (New York, N.Y./Trevor Day School) pitched the final four innings without allowing a hit to earn the save.

Play continues at the Tucson Invitational on Thursday, Mar. 15 with a doubleheader against Framingham State. The first game starts at 9:00 a.m. Pacific at the Kino Sports Complex. Live audio will be available on Macalester's Stretch Webcast Portal here.