ST. PETER, Minn. – The Macalester College baseball team lost a pair of MIAC games to Saint Mary's University, 2-0 and 4-2 Wednesday afternoon at the Gustie Baseball Field on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus. The Scots drop to 15-12 overall and 5-5 in conference play, while the Cardinals (13-10) remain atop the MIAC with a 7-1 league record.

The games, originally scheduled for Apr. 14 at Nicholson Field, were moved by the conference due to the late snowstorms. The two teams met at Gustavus since Macalester was hosting a softball doubleheader today.

In the first game, the Scots struggled to generate much offense. Macalester put the first two batters in the second and third innings on base but was unable to get the key hit. Meanwhile, junior Zach Anderson (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Twp.) limited the Cardinals to no runs on one hit over the first five innings. The game remained scoreless until the top of the sixth, when Saint Mary's broke through with two runs on three hits and an error. Cardinals' pitcher James Green retired the Scots in order in the final two innings to complete the shutout.

Green blanked Macalester on five hits while striking out seven and walking none. Anderson also went seven innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits while fanning nine and walking one.

Saint Mary's struck first in Game 2 with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. The Scots loaded the bases in the bottom of the third with singles by sophomore Carl Francalangia (West Hartford, Conn./Loomis-Chaffee School) and junior Jared Abelson (Herndon, Va./South Lakes), and a walk by sophomore Alex Bearden (St. Louis, Mo./Mary Institute Country Day). But the Cardinals induced a ground ball that they turned a double play. Francalangia scored on the play, but Bearden was stranded on third as the next batter struck out.

The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the sixth, when junior Graham Low (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) led off with a double and later scored on a single by senior Nick McMullen (Payson, Ariz./Payson) to tie the game at 2-2. In the top of the seventh, Zach Slowiak hit a two-run triple with one out for a 4-2 lead. Francalangia led off the bottom of the seventh with a double, but he was stranded at second as the Cardinals closed out the win and the sweep.

McMullen started on the mound and gave up two runs on three hits over three innings. First year Alex Denzler (New York, N.Y./Trevor Day School) came on in relief and gave up two runs on four hits while striking out four in 3 1/3 innings. Francalangia and Abelson delivered two hits apiece in the loss.

Macalester continues its MIAC schedule with a doubleheader at Carleton College on Saturday, Apr. 27. The first game starts at 1:00 p.m. in Northfield, Minn.