ST. PAUL, Minn. – After losing the first game, 5-4 in extra innings, the Macalester College baseball team bounced back to beat St. Scholastica, 3-2 in Game 2 to earn a split of a MIAC doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Nicholson Field. The results give the Scots a 13-8 record overall, including a 3-1 mark in the conference. The Saints, who began conference play today, are now 11-7, 1-1 MIAC.

The games were originally scheduled to be played on Wednesday in Duluth but were moved to Macalester today due to poor field conditions. Although the teams played at Macalester, the Scots were the visitors in the box score and batted first.

The first game started well for Macalester. In the top of the first, senior outfielder Raymond McCaskey (Colorado Springs, Colo./Manitou Springs) and first year outfielder John McMurray (Washington, D.C./Sidwell Friends) singled, then an error allowed McCaskey to score the game's first run. Sophomore catcher Bobby Munoz (Santa Monica, Calif./Santa Monica) hit a sacrifice fly to plate McMurray for a 2-0 lead. St. Scholastica scored a run in the bottom of the second, then put three runs on the board in the sixth to lead, 4-2. In the top of the seventh, Macalester loaded the bases on a hit batter, a walk and a single by sophomore outfielder Tristan Lander (West Chester, Pa./B. Reed Henderson). A grounder by Munoz brought home McCaskey, then a bunt by senior infielder Josh Planko (Northville, Mich./Northville) scored McMurray to tie the score at 4-4.

The game went to extra innings, with neither team scoring in the eighth. After the Scots went out in order in the ninth, the Saints put runners on first and third after an infield single and a throwing error. St. Scholastica executed a double steal, drawing a throw to second that allowed Caden Hall to come home from third with the game-winning run.

McMurray, Lander and senior infielder Nathan Gumagay (Potomac, Md./Winston Churchill) each had two hits for Macalester. Junior pitcher Josh Schmidt (Chicago, Ill./Whitney M. Young Magnet) started and gave up a run on three hits and three walks in four innings of work. Seniors Jamie Loizeaux (Albany, Calif./Albany) and Evan Kang (Sherman Oaks, Calif./Village Christian) each pitched scoreless innings, with Kang striking out the side in the seventh.

The Scots struck again in the first inning of Game 2. After three straight walks with one out in the first, sophomore Connor Davison (Redwood City, Calif./Woodside) singled to drive in McCaskey and McMurray for a 2-0 lead. Then in the fourth, an infield single by McMurray brought home junior Braden LaChapelle (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson) to put Macalester on top, 3-0.

Meanwhile, Macalester pitchers were putting up zeros. Junior Nick Strezo (San Mateo, Calif./Hillsdale) started and allowed one hit over two innings, then sophomore Elliott Rowley (South Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic School) tossed three scoreless innings without giving up a hit. The Saints put their first run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth, then had runners on first and second with two out in the bottom of the seventh. A single by Luke Krull plated one run, but Loizeaux induced a popup to end the game for his second save of the season.

The Scots managed four hits in the second game, as McMurray, Davison and Planko had singles and Gumagay hit a double.

Macalester is scheduled to play a MIAC doubleheader on Friday, April 3 against Bethel University. Game time is set for 2:30 p.m. at Nicholson Field.