ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College baseball team earned an important MIAC sweep as the Scots took two from Hamline University, 6-2 and 9-2 Saturday afternoon at CHS Field. With the wins, Macalester (14-13) moved into a tie for sixth place in the MIAC with a 6-6 record. The Pipers drop to 13-16, 5-7 MIAC.

In the first game, seniors Jared Abelson (Herndon, Va./South Lakes) and Sam Goldberg (North Potomac, Md./Thomas S. Wootton) delivered run-scoring singles in the second and third innings, respectively, to give the Scots a 2-0 lead. Hamline scored a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game at 2-2. The game remained deadlocked until the top of the seventh. With runners on second and third, junior Carl Francalangia (West Hartford, Conn./Loomis-Chaffee School) executed a squeeze bunt that plated sophomore Jack Sahargun (Coto de Caza, Calif./Tesoro) with the go-ahead run. Still in the seventh, first year Michael Moreno (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) doubled home first year Anthony Palma (Mooresville, N.C./Lake Norman), and Goldberg hit a two-run single to make the score 6-2 Macalester.

Sophomore Alex Denzler (New York, N.Y./Trevor Day School) kept the Pipers off the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh for his second shutout inning to earn the victory. Junior Matthew Plisko (Alpharetta, Ga./Pace Academy) started and gave up two unearned runs on three hits while fanning five and walking two in five innings of work. Goldberg was 3-for-3 with three runs batted in at the plate.

The Scots also took an early lead in Game 2, with Abelson hitting a two-run double in the top of the second. After Hamline scored a run in the bottom of the second, Moreno plated Francalangia with a double in the top of the third for a 3-1 lead. Then in the fourth, Francalangia doubled home Abelson and scored along with Palma on a two-run double by senior Graham Low (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont). Goldberg drove in Low with an infield single in the fourth to make the score 7-2 Macalester. The Pipers scored a run in the bottom of the fourth, only to have the Scots score twice in the top of the fifth for a 9-2 advantage. Sahargun singled to plate first year Lian Lincoln (Anchoarge, Alaska/South Anchorage) and later scored on a bases-loaded walk by Moreno.

Abelson went 3-for-4 with a run and two RBIs, while Francalangia, Goldberg and first year Soren Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./The Blake School) each had two hits. On the mound, sophomore Will Madairy (Charlotte, N.C./Providence Day School) held Hamline to two runs, one earned, on six hits while striking out seven and walking three in six innings. He is now 4-1 on the season. Senior Zach Anderson (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township), sophomore Andrew Polk (San Mateo, Calif./St. Ignatius College Prep) and first year Will Moscato (Berkeley, Calif./Berkeley) each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

Macalester hosts another MIAC doubleheader on Tuesday, April 23 against Bethel University. The first pitch is set for 2:30 p.m. at Nicholson Field.