TUCSON, Ariz. – The Macalester College baseball team began competition at the Tucson Invitational this evening, with a doubleheader against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Macalester fought hard but fell in both games to the Stags. The Scots are now 1-3.
 
In game one, Macalester went down 4-0 in the first inning. However, the Scots battled back in the second half of the inning. Sophomore Hayes Waddell (North Hampton, N.H./Winnacunnet) hit a single RBI to bring home junior Matt Odom (Glendale, Calif./St. Francis). Then first year Niko Alexander (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) smashed a two RBI double to right field, plating senior Kenny Rodriguez (Bronx, N.Y./George School) and Waddell, closing the gap to 4-3. In the third, the Stags increased their lead by one, and in the fourth grew it to 8-3. The Scots rallied at the bottom of the fourth scoring three runs. Senior Joe Margolis (Chicago, Ill./Jones College Prep) hit a ground rule double that brought in first years Stephen Paulsen (Middleton, Wis./Middleton) and Josh Planko (Northville, Mich./Northville). Then Odom had an RBI to bring home senior Anthony Palma (Mooresville, N.C./Lake Norman), for an 8-6 game. Macalester fought hard the rest of the game, but fell 8-6.
 
Alexander was 2-for-4 with two RBI's. Palma was also 2-for-4 with one run.
 
In game two Macalester fell 5-0. Sophomore Ryan Przespolewski (Spring, Texas/Oak Ridge) pitched two innings with 0 hits facing six batters. Senior Alec Deegan (Wynnewood, Pa./Lower Merion) pitched one inning with 0 hits facing four batters.
 
Macalester's next game will be Sunday March 12 in Tucson, Ariz. The Scots will face Sul Ross State, with first pitch at 9:00 a.m. MST/11:00 a.m. CDT.