Tucson, Ariz. – The Macalester College baseball team played its fifth game down in Tucson today. The Scots rallied in the middle of the game, but the comeback was stopped short by the Vikings of Valley City State (N.D.). The Scots are now 1-4 this season.
 
After giving up five in the first three innings, the Scots put a few on the board. With sophomore Matt Odom (Glendale, Calif./St. Francis) on second and junior Kenny Rodriguez (Bronx, N.Y./George School) on first, sophomore Matt Mukai (Foster City, Calif./Aragon) hit a single to right field to score Odom and advance Rodriguez to third. Senior Anthony Palma (Mooresville, N.C./Lake Norman) then reached first on a Vikings error to score Rodriguez. The Scots closed out the top of the fourth down three, 5-2. The bottom of the fourth saw the Vikings increase their lead again to 8-2.
 
Macalester came out hot in the top of the fifth inning. Sophomore Jack Conner (Northborough, Mass./Algonquin Regional) started off the Scots' six run inning with a double to left center. Then, junior Joe Margolis (Chicago, Ill./Jones College Prep) and senior Michael Moreno (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) were both hit by a pitch to load the bases. Odom then singled to right field, plating both Conner and Margolis. Next, Rodriguez stepped up and tripled to center field bringing home Moreno and Odom. Mukai hit a single RBI to bring Rodriguez in. Senior Anushka Fernando (Silver Spring, MD./Wheaton) brought in Mukai for the last run of the inning, with a triple to left center. The Scots tied the game at eight all heading into the bottom half of the fifth. However, the Vikings would answer back with six of their own, going up 14-8.
 
Palma opened the scoring in the seventh, hitting a single RBI to bring home first year Caidan Moore (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnehaha Academy). Fernando was then hit by a pitch to advance to first. Palma and Fernando made a double steal, putting themselves on second and third. First year Bowman Wingard (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) then brought home the two seniors, making a sacrifice fly, to bring the Scots within three again, 14-11. In the eighth, both teams would score one run. Mukai would send home first year Evan Burns (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) at the top of the inning and finish out the game losing 15-12.
 
Rodriguez and Odom both scored two runs and registered two RBIs while Mukai made three RBIs and came home twice.
 
The Scots' next game is Thursday March 17 at 12:00 p.m. CDT and 3:30 p.m. CDT. Macalester will play Wesleyan University and Carthage College respectively.