MANKATO, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris baseball team swept Bethany Lutheran College 6-5 and 7-4 in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play Saturday in Mankato, Minn. This marks the first time since the 2007 season that the Cougars have won a series against the Vikings.
Minnesota Morris moves to 4-1 in the UMAC and 7-11 overall, while Bethany Lutheran falls to 11-4 overall and 3-2 in conference play.
Game 1
The scoring started in the third inning.
Landen Meyerdirk drew a walk and then stole second.
Ben Meuser singled to left field to put runners on the corners, then advanced to scoring position by stealing second.
Kellan Oligmueller doubled to left field, driving in both baserunners.
Peyton Neadeau followed with a single to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead after the top of the third.
The Vikings scored a run in the fourth, capitalizing on an error. In the sixth, BLC drew level. Meyerdirk singled in the seventh for UMM, and
Tyler Moriarty advanced him with a single to left field. Meuser gave the Cougars the lead with a double to right field, and Oligmueller hit a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 5-3 after the top of the seventh.
A BLC home run in the seventh cut the lead to one. In the eighth,
Trevor Haberman doubled to center field. A wild pitch on ball four to
Caleb Walker moved Haberman to third. The base runners attempted a double steal, Walker was thrown out, but Haberman scored first.
The Vikings led off the ninth with a triple and then scored on a wild pitch.
Breckin Silvain retired the next three batters, striking out two to earn the save as UMM won 6-5.
The Cougars totaled 11 hits, as Meuser went 4-for-4 at the plate. Oligmueller and Neadeau each recorded two hits, while Meyerdirk, Moriarty, and Haberman had one apiece. Oligmueller led the team with three RBIs, and Meyerdirk scored two runs.
Bradie Black recorded two of the team's five stolen bases.
On the mound,
Parker Gilchrist earned the win, pitching 6.2 innings. He struck out three batters, walked three, and allowed two hits and one earned run. Silvain pitched the final 2.1 innings with four strikeouts, allowing one earned run to earn the save.
Game 2
Meuser stayed hot with his fifth hit of the day, a single to left field. Oligmueller and Neadeau were each hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, but the Cougars left them loaded. The Vikings took the lead in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly and then doubled it in the second.
Moriarty led off the third with an infield single. Oligmueller put runners on the corners with a single to right field, and a wild pitch scored Moriarty, making it 2-1 after the top of the third. In the fourth,
Blake Imhoff reached after being hit by a pitch, and Moriarty drew a walk. Meuser then put the Cougars on top with a three-run home run.
The Cougars extended the lead in the seventh inning. Oligmueller reached on an error and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Neadeau. Black drove in Oligmueller with a double.
Luke McHugh hit his first collegiate home run to give the Cougars a 7-2 lead.
The Vikings scored two more runs in the eighth on a two-run home run. Silvain pitched a one-two-three ninth inning as the Cougars secured the 7-4 victory and the series win.
The Cougars tallied seven hits in game two, with Meuser and Oligmueller leading the team with two each. McHugh, Black, and Moriarty each added a hit. Meuser led the team with three RBIs, followed by McHugh with two, while Black recorded one.
Johnny Lopez earned the win on the mound, pitching six innings, striking out three batters, and allowing two earned runs.
Ryan McGie pitched 1.2 innings with one strikeout. Silvain closed with the final 1.1 innings, striking out three to earn his second save of the day.
The Cougars and Vikings will close out the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
