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Senior pitcher Bryce Gapinski allowed just one run on four hits in seven innings of work to help the Tommies split a doubleheader against the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse Monday night at the Metrodome.
UW-Lacrosse took game one with a 6-1 victory, and St. Thomas came back to dominate the second game, winning 8-1.
“There’s not much good to talk about the first game,” coach Chris Olean said. “We came out flat, and it looked that way.”
The Eagles broke the first game open in the fourth inning with a four run burst. UW-Lacrosse senior Garrett Scray pitched into the seventh inning and allowed just one run on five hits.
However, St. Thomas got its bats going early in the second game, scoring six runs in the second inning.
“We just came really fired up; we were ready to go,” sophomore outfielder Ryan Gerber said. “The first game we were real quiet, and the second (game) we were a lot more aggressive and just attacked.”
Senior first baseman Nick Reichert and Gerber both doubled in the second inning and scored. Senior third baseman Charles Bruchu was hit by a pitch and also scored. Sophomore catcher J.D Dorgan singled and had a stolen base, adding two more runs.
“I started seeing the ball a lot better,” Gerber said. “Everyone contributed and got some hits to start off the (second) game.”
Gapinski had a shutout going until the seventh inning when the Eagles scored a run off of two hits.
“I didn’t want to come out of here with one loss,” Gapinski said. “I took it upon myself to pitch as fast as I could, pump strikes out (and) let them hit groundballs. Defensively, the team played behind me tonight.”
Gerber was impressed with Gapinski’s pitching and said he played a big factor in the win.
“Gappy is a gamer; he will go out and pitch seven,14, 21 innings if he has to,” Gerber said. “He works fast, works well and throws strikes; he did everything perfect.”
With the win, St. Thomas improves to 3-1, but Olean said there’s still a lot to improve upon.
“We have to make sure we have better at bats, and our offense continues to improve,” Olean said. “In the second game, we were going for a lot of that, where the whole tram contributes.”
St. Thomas’ next game is a doubleheader against the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Thursday, March 8 at the Metrodome.
Terese Quarberg can be reached at quar3707@stthomas.edu.