MANKATO, Minn. – Macalester baseball took a break in MIAC action today and headed to Mankato to take on the Vikings of Bethany Lutheran. The Scots fell in a close game one, 6-3, but absolutely dominated in game two, registering five home runs, and winning 17-3. Macalester is now 7-22.
 
In game one, the Scots took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. After loading the bases, junior Hayes Waddell (North Hampton, N.H./Winnacunnet) scored as a result of the Vikings walking sophomore Nathan Gumagay (Potomac, Md./Winston Churchill). However, in the next half inning, the Vikings took a 3-1 lead. At the top of the fourth, senior Charlie Burton (Round Lake, Ill./Round Lake) led off with a double. Then first year Isaiah Ramirez (Houston, Texas/Northbrook) hit an RBI double to plate Burton. Sophomore Josh Planko (Northville, Mich./Northville) then brought in Ramirez with an RBI double to tie the game 3-3. Unfortunately, the Vikings scored three more runs in the next two innings and took the game 6-3. Waddell was 2-for-3 with a run.
 
Bethany Lutheran took a 1-0 lead after the first inning of game two. The Scots however took the lead over in the top of the fourth. Planko and fellow sophomore Niko Alexander (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) were walked to start the inning and then first year Braden LaChapelle (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson) singled to load the bases. Next up to the plate was sophomore Evan Kang (Sherman Oaks, Calif./Village Christian) who hit a bases clearing triple. Fellow sophomore Brennan Murley (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) then hit a sacrifice fly to score Kang and take a 4-1 lead. Macalester extended their lead to 6-1 in the top of the fifth. Sophomore Raymond McCaskey (Colorado Springs, Colo./Manitou Springs) was walked and stole second. Waddell then stepped up to the plate and blasted the first Macalester home run of the night. The Vikings got one run back in the next half inning. At the top of the sixth, sophomore Tristan Jones (Fairfield, Conn./Greens Farms Academy) smashed a two RBI home run to make it 8-2. In the bottom of the sixth, Bethany Lutheran scored one run, but the Scots had a massive nine run seventh inning. Odom kicked off the seventh with a solo home run. Then Planko singled and junior Jake Murakami (Chappaqua, N.Y./Horace Greeley) walked, putting two on base and setting up Alexander's three-run homer to extend the lead to 12-3. After two walks and a single, Jones hit a sacrifice fly to score LaChapelle. Odom then came for his second at bat of the inning and finished off the night with a grand slam, leading the Scots to a 17-3 victory. First year Damian Man (Houston, Texas/Bellaire) got the win on the mound, while sophomore Jamie Loizeaux (Albany, Calif./Albany) and junior Shun Mizuno (Irving, Texas/Ranchview) had strong outings on the mound. Kang was 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI's.
 
Macalester's next doubleheader is scheduled for Sunday April 21. The Scots host St. Olaf in a MIAC doubleheader at Nicholson Field. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.