The St. Thomas baseball team split a doubleheader matchup with Gustavus Adolphus, winning Game 1 15-8 and losing Game 2 6-1 to close out the regular season.
With the Game 2 loss, the Tommies (17-15 overall, 13-7 MIAC) fell to the fourth seed in the MIAC playoffs, while the Gusties (18-15 overall, 10-8 MIAC) secured the sixth and final spot in the conference tournament.
“That first game was pretty crazy. Both offenses were electric and it was a lot of fun to watch,” Tommie pitcher J.T. Engeswick said. “Even when we gave up some big numbers, our offense was able to win every inning.”
The Tommies’ bats immediately sprung to life, accounting for five runs in the bottom of the first inning of the opening game. The early five-run outburst was powered by a two-run single off the bat of designated hitter Hunter Hart and a two-run double down the left-field line courtesy of third baseman Kyle Halverson.
Gustavus didn’t stay down long. They rallied for five runs of their own during the top of the third, with the striking blow coming from infielder John Lundquist in the form of a three-run homer to left-center field.
As quickly as the Gusties came back, the Tommies just as quickly recaptured the lead.
The bottom of the third saw the Tommies post six more runs on the Gusties and reclaim a lead that they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. Hart once again powered the Tommies’ surge, this time with a two-run home run to left-center field.
Tommie pitchers Engeswick and Mitch Maurer combined for three scoreless innings to close the game.
“I was just able to throw consistent strikes and keep (the ball) low,” Engeswick said. “Luckily, the curveball was feeling pretty good today.”
By the end of the game, seven different Tommies had registered a hit, combining for 16 total hits in their 15-8 victory.
St. Thomas celebrated senior night during the intermission. The team’s seniors were honored prior to the opening pitch of Game 2 and were joined by their loved ones in a ceremony on the field.
The second game of the doubleheader featured a much slower start than the first. Pitcher Graham Laubsher held the Gusties to one hit through the first three innings but didn’t receive any run support from the Tommie offense.
In the fourth and fifth innings alone, the St. Thomas defense committed three errors in the infield.
“It wasn’t really all that clean,” coach Chris Olean said. “We kicked some balls that we usually don’t kick and we’re walking some more guys than usual.”
Gustavus capitalized on these errors, building a three-run lead on a sac fly, a fielder’s choice and an error.
By the bottom of the fifth, the Tommies were trailing by five runs. Pitcher Caleb Fernholz provided the only run of the second game for the Tommies with an opposite-field solo home run in that inning.
The Tommies would lose by a final score of 6-1
“I think we just had a bit of a let-down after the big senior day and gaining all that momentum,” Olean said. “We’ll look to recapture some of that (momentum) on Thursday.”
St. Thomas travels to CHS Field Thursday in St. Paul to take on Macalester in the opening round of the MIAC playoffs.
Kyle Manderfeld can be reached at mand4052@stthomas.edu.