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W, 5-4
L, 13-10

Morris, Minn. - The Minnesota Morris baseball team nearly had the sweep complete today (Apr. 12), winning 5-4 in the first game and leading late in the second, but a sixth-inning rally by Presentation led to a 13-10 victory in game two.

The day's doubleheader was originally scheduled to be played in Aberdeen, at Presentation, but the Saints field was unplayable so the games were played at Morris instead. The Cougars were the home team in game one, and played as the visitors in game two.

In the second game, the tables turned completely during the Saints 11-run sixth inning, giving them their first lead of the game at 13-9, heading into the seventh inning. The Saints scored their runs on nine hits, and used the benefit of two Cougar errors to send 15 players to the plate in the inning.

The Cougars had just scored a pair of runs in their half of the sixth and carried a 9-2 lead into the bottom of the inning. The Cougars had never trailed, until the sixth, scoring in every inning but the first.

Jordan Gegen (Anoka, Minn.) pitched two-thirds of the sixth, allowing five runs, including the go-ahead runs, and suffered the loss. However, none of Gegen's runs allowed were earned.

Jake Johnson (Stanchfield, Minn.) started for the Cougars, but left in the second without recording an out in the inning, leaving with the score tied 1-1. Nate Haseman (Butterfield, Minn.) pitched 3.0 innings through the heart of the game, allowing just one run, before giving way to Thomas Fox (Coon Rapids, Minn.). Fox recorded 1.0 inning pitched and started the sixth, but could not record an out before allowing five runs and was relieved by Gegen.

The Cougars took their first lead with a run in the second, and appeared to break the game open with a four-run third, on the back of Ian Olson's (Granite Falls, Minn.) second homerun of the season.

Nick Perrotte (Aruba) pitched 5.1 innings of two-run ball in the game one win, striking out five to even his season record at 2-2. He allowed just three hits for his second straight start, and has now pitched a team high 21.1 innings on the season.

Olson was the offensive leader with five hits in the day, four RBI and three runs scored. Gegen added four hits, while Austin Pinke (St. James, Minn.), Drew Lundquist (North Branch, Minn.) and Perrotte each added three. As a team the Cougars totaled 22 hits over the two games.

Lundquist now has a seven-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 13 of 15 games this season. Dustin Sauter (Morris, Minn.) finished with one hit in each game and extends hit hitting streak to six games, and just once this season has went without a hit.

The Cougars' move to 4-11 on the season and 3-2 in UMAC play, while the Saints now sit at 8-12 overall and 4-4 in conference play.

Morris takes the field again this weekend, hosting Northwestern for a three-game series in Apr. 15 and 16. The Cougars and Eagles play one nine-inning game at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, and a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.