After a 4-0 loss in extra innings, St. Thomas baseball split its doubleheader with a 5-4 victory over St. Mary’s Tuesday at Koch Diamond.
St. Thomas (12-7, 4-4 MIAC) senior outfielder Evan Kolker scored the game-winning run over the Cardinals (13-11, 5-3 MIAC) in the seventh on a fielder’s choice hit by senior shortstop Rock Cates.
“I was making sure Rock put the ball in play, just knew we had to get across and get it done right there since we didn’t get it done in the last game,” Kolker said.
Sophomore pitcher Andrew Tri allowed three runs in the second inning. Senior pitcher Henry DeCaster took the mound in the fifth inning allowing one more run before junior pitcher Shaun Falbo took the mound in the seventh to close the game.
“I wasn’t happy with the split; I think we had opportunities to win the first game that just didn’t go our way,” coach Chris Olean said.
The Tommies scored a run in the second inning by a single RBI from Matt Dolan in his varsity debut to get junior center Jake Husnick home.
“Going up to the plate, I was just looking to hit the ball hard and put it in play,” Dolan said. “(The pitcher) threw me one straight fastball right down the middle and I hit it right off the middle.”
A groundout by junior first baseman Ryan Lust got Dan Bollingberg plated in the third inning, before Rock Cates hit a home run in the fourth.
One more run in the sixth inning by senior Sam Cobbs on an RBI by Cates tied the game before Kolker’s run.
The Tommies travel to Gustavus to play a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Justin Amaker can be reached at justin.amaker@stthomas.edu.