MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Macalester College baseball team ended the season on a high note, defeating Augsburg in both games of the double header this afternoon, 9-5 and 15-10. The Scots finish 17-17 (9-11 MIAC).
 
Macalester got off to a quick 1-0 lead with its first two batters of the day. Leadoff hitter, senior Anthony Palma (Mooresville, N.C./Lake Norman) reached first after being hit by a pitch, and then went home off an RBI double from junior Matt Odom (Glendale, Calif./St. Francis). The Auggies took the lead 2-1 in the back half of the inning. However, the Scots were ready to answer. In the second, first year Josh Planko (Northville, Mich./Northville) was able to score on a double play to tie the game. In the third, senior Joe Margolis (Chicago, Ill./Jones College Prep) led off with a single and then advanced to second, as junior Matt Mukai (Foster City, Calif./Aragon) was hit by a pitch. Sophomore Jake Murakami (Chappaqua, N.Y./Horace Greeley) then hit an RBI single down the right field line to score Margolis. A wild pitch by the Auggies gave Mukai an opportunity to come home, and take a 4-2 lead.
 
The Scots continued to increase their lead in the fourth with five runs. Margolis tripled to bring home Palma. Murakami picked up an RBI that brought home Margolis. Senior Kenny Rodriguez (Bronx, N.Y./George School) hit an RBI single to plate Mukai. To close out the Scots' scoring, senior Erik Hager (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South) doubled down the left field line to bring in Planko and Rodriguez for a 9-2 lead. The Auggies were able to pick up three runs in the fifth, but Macalester held off the Auggies and took game one 9-5. Hager went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, Planko was 2-for-3 with two runs and Margolis was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs. Sophomore Ben Levinson (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) pitched five innings and limited the Auggies to six hits, while sophomore Jacob Posner (Los Angeles, Calif./Alexander Hamilton) tossed two perfect innings of relief.
 
After a scoreless first inning, Macalester struck first, with three runs at the top of the second. The Scots started the inning with back-to-back singles. The sophomore Bowman Wingard (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) and Hager hit back-to-back RBI singles to score Mukai and first year Niko Alexander (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman). A walk loaded the bases, after which Palma brought home Wingard. Augsburg came back in the back half of the inning to take over the lead 4-3. However, the Scots' bats remained hot and Macalester registered a big seven run inning in the third. Wingard hit another RBI single to bring home Mukai. With bases loaded, first year Nathan Gumagay (Potomac, Md./Winston Churchill) walked, plating Alexander. Then Palma smashed a bases-clearing 3-RBI triple to right field, followed by Odom hitting the ball out of the park, for 2-RBI and a 10-4 lead. The Auggies once again picked up runs in the bottom of the inning, closing the gap to 10-8. Macalester continued to shine, picking up five runs in the fourth. Hager cracked a 2-RBI single down the left line to score Alexander and sophomore Evan Burns (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township). Wingard and Hager both scored on wild pitches and an RBI double from Margolis scored Odom, and the Scots led 15-8. The Auggies were able to pick up two more runs, but Macalester outmatched Augsburg and won the game 15-10. Wingard was 4-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs. Hager was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs. Palma led the team with four RBIs. First year Ben King (Chicago, Ill./Whitney M. Young Magnet) got the win on the mound.

This marks the last game for seniors, Palma, Margolis, Rodriguez, Hager, Ty Benz (Saverna Park, Md./Severn School), Peter Aspholm (Winthrop, Wash./Liberty Bell), Thomas Windels (New York, N.Y./Episcopal), Alec Deegan (Wynnewood, Pa./Lower Merion), Declan Elias (San Francisco, Calif./St. Ignatius), and Joey Clark (Burbank, Calif./Burbank). The Scots return 28 next spring.