ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Morris (10-17) dropped a pair of games on Tuesday to Hamline University (15-12). The Pipers won game one 8-3 before squeaking by 4-3 in game two with a run in the bottom of the seventh.
Jake Schmitz increased his hitting streak to 11 games on Tuesday.
GAME 1
The Cougars started in style in the top of the first scoring three runs with the help of an error.
Donnie Mavencamp drove in
Jake Schmitz with a single to left.
Willie Fust came to the plate next and delivered a two run RBI as Mavencamp and
Jackson Gessell scored.
Regrettably, the Cougars would not score again in the game and Hamline started a comeback immediately. The Pipers tied the game in the bottom of the first with three runs on three hits and a Cougar error.
The game was tied until the bottom of the third as Hamline scored a run with a single through the left side. Hamline put the game away with four runs in the bottom of the fifth giving them a five run lead.
GAME 2
The Pipers took a lead in the bottom of the first after an error by the Morris catcher. The Cougars got that run back and took a lead in the top of the second.
Connor Spindler did it all with a one swing, driving in
Chandler Erickson and Fust with a single to left.
Morris held the lead until the bottom of the fifth. A solo homer tied the game at two. A few minutes later Hamline took a 3-2 lead with a single to right.
Mavencamp swiftly tied the game back up in the top of the sixth inning squeezing in Schmitz on a bunt.
Minnesota Morris threatened to take a lead in the top of the seventh putting a runner on second with one out. After an error put a runner on first the Cougars had a strike out and groundout ending their threat. The Pipers had runners on first and second with two outs but a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, forcing UMM to walk the batter, loading the bases. It came back to hurt the Cougars as another walk forced in a run and gave Hamline the 4-3 win.
Morris will back at Cougar Field this weekend hosting Northwestern in their final home UMAC series of the regular season.
