ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College baseball team fell to the University of St. Thomas, 5-1 and 8-2 in the season's first home games at Nicholson Field Tuesday afternoon. The Scots are now 19-14 overall and 9-7 in conference play, while the Tommies (16-12) take over first place in the MIAC with an 11-3 record in the league.

After three scoreless innings in the first game, St. Thomas struck first with two runs in the top of the fourth inning. Macalester responded in the bottom of the fourth with a single by senior Alex Baretta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) that brought home junior Graham Low (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) to make the score 2-1. The Tommies' Jake Smith hit a two-run homer in the top of the fifth, and the visitors scored another run on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth for a 5-1 lead. St. Thomas pitcher Henry DeCaster held the Scots to one run on three hits while striking out 11 in seven innings. Junior Zach Anderson (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Twp.) started for Macalester and allowed five runs on 11 hits with four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

In the second game it was the Scots who got on the scoreboard first, with Baretta and senior Nick McMullen (Payson, Ariz./Payson) driving in runs in the bottom of the first inning for a 2-0 lead. The Tommies tied the score with two runs in the top of the second, then took a 3-2 lead with a run in the third. St. Thomas broke the game open with four runs in the top of the fourth before adding a single run in the sixth for an 8-2 advantage. Again the Scots struggled at the plate, with six hits in Game 2. First year pitcher Will Madairy (Charlotte, N.C./Providence Day School) started and gave up three runs on four hits over three innings of work. Sophomore Henry Smith (New York, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day) pitched four innings of relief, allowing a run on three hits.

Macalester hosts St. Olaf in another MIAC doubleheader on Wednesday, May 2. The first game starts at 2:30 p.m. at Nicholson Field.