MINNEAPOLIS – The University of Minnesota Morris baseball team split a doubleheader with Macalester College on Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Cougars took the opening game of the day, 10-8, before the Scots were able to clamp down the UMN Morris offense and come away with a 6-1 win to wrap up the afternoon.

Now 6-5 on the season, Minnesota Morris is back at it early on Saturday with a doubleheader against Hamline University beginning at 6:30 a.m. 

Game One: Minnesota Morris 10, Macalester 8
Minnesota Morris overturned a 6-2 deficit after two innings behind a huge seven-run outburst from the bats in the bottom of the third and a solid relief appearance from Josh Osten to nab the opening game of the day.

Macalester plated three runs in the top of the first and another three in the top of the second, though the Cougars were able to offset that somewhat with RBI hits from Tyler Scheler and Noah Kloss in the bottom of the first.

After Josh Osten relieved Jacob Schaaf to start the third inning, the Cougars escaped the top half of the frame by stranding a pair of Macalester runners in scoring position. From there, Alex Baumann led off the bottom of the third with a double and the Cougars were off and running. Kloss eventually drove in both Baumann and Scheler with a base hit up the middle to make it 6-4. With the bases loaded, Logan Graves drove in a pair to level the score at 6-6. Macalester went to its bullpen at that point, but the Cougars still weren't done as Joe Pelle drove in Graves and Michael Nezerka before Baumann, batting for the second time in the inning, doubled again to bring Pelle home for a 9-6 edge.

The game began to fly through the middle innings as both pitchers locked in, but Minnesota Morris added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a lead-off triple from Baumann. With one down, an error from the Scots allowed Baumann to come home to give UMN Morris a 10-6 lead. 

Things got a little anxious in the seventh inning for the Cougars as Macalester loaded the bases with no outs, but Colin Lindgren was able to slam the door shut, with the only runs from the Scots coming on a fielder's choice groundout. A lineout to center and a groundout to short wrapped it up. 

Baumann went 3-for-4 in the game with a pair of runs scored. Kloss and Graves each had two hits apiece, with Kloss driving in a game-high three runs. Osten picked up his first collegiate victory, going 4.0 innings and giving up just one run while striking out four.

Game Two: Macalester 6, Minnesota Morris 1
With the roles reversed and Minnesota Morris batting as the visiting team in game two, the Cougars got off to a good start but couldn't keep things going. Pelle led off the top of the first inning with a single, followed by steals of second and third base before a Scheler groundout allowed him to score to put UMN Morris on top, 1-0.

Macalester came back against Minnesota Morris starter Nathen Carlin in the bottom of the second. Though Carlin struck out the side, the Scots were able to push three runs across, all with two outs in the inning. Macalester had another run score in the bottom of the third to make it 4-1. 

After the promising start from the offense, the Cougars managed only two hits the rest of the way against a trio of Macalester pitchers. That allowed the lead to hold up for the Scots, especially after they scored two more in the fifth inning while aided by a Minnesota Morris error to take a 6-1 lead. 

Carlin struck out seven in 4.1 innings, though he was tagged with the loss in the contest. Owen Dylong struck out the side while pitching the bottom of the sixth. Pelle had two of the hits for Minnesota Morris in the game, with Graves collecting the other one.