COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – The Macalester College baseball team split a MIAC doubleheader at Saint John's, losing the first game, 5-2 before winning Game 2, 5-3 Wednesday afternoon at Becker Park. The Scots are now 17-18 overall and 8-10 in conference play, while the Johnnies are now 27-10, 12-6 MIAC.
Trailing 3-0 in the first game, Macalester pulled within a run with run-scoring singles by senior
Sam Goldberg (North Potomac, Md./Thomas S. Wootton) and junior
Carl Francalangia (West Hartford, Conn./The Loomis-Chaffee School) in the top of the fourth. Saint John's responded with a two-run homer by Thomas Meland in the sixth, then held on for a 5-2 win. Senior
Graham Low (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) and sophomore
Leonardo Bucello (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson) had two hits apiece, as the Scots out-hit the Johnnies, 10-8 for the game.
In Game 2, first year
Michael Moreno (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) belted his fifth home run of the season in the top of the second for a 1-0 Macalester lead. Then in the fourth, first year
Michael Helton (Laguna Beach, Calif./Sage Hill) singled home Goldberg to make the score 2-0. After Joey Stock hit a three-run home run in the sixth to put the Johnnies on top, 3-2, Goldberg came through in the eighth with a two-run double that plated Francalangia and Moreno for a 4-3 edge. Then in the ninth, Helton blasted a solo shot to right-centerfield for his first collegiate home run and a 5-3 lead.
Sophomore pitcher
Andrew Polk (San Mateo, Calif./St. Ignatius College Prep) tossed three scoreless innings of relief, holding Saint John's without a hit while striking out two and walking two to earn the win. Senior lefty
Thomas Shogren (Woodbury, Minn./Minnehaha Academy) started and allowed three runs on five hits with four strikeouts over six innings of work. Goldberg went 4-for-4 with a run and two RBIs, while Helton and first year
Soren Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./The Blake School) each had two hits in the win.
The split at Saint John's, coupled with wins by St. Olaf and Saint Mary's in MIAC action on Wednesday, have eliminated the Scots from the conference playoff picture. Macalester was looking to make the MIAC Playoffs for the third year in a row.
The Scots close out MIAC play with a doubleheader against Carleton at home on Saturday, May 4. The first game starts at 1:00 p.m. at Nicholson Field.
