The St. Olaf baseball team returned to action on April 26 on the Mark Almli Field to take on Bethel University in a MIAC doubleheader. The Oles performed strongly against the number two-ranked team in the conference, narrowly falling 2-3 in a tense game one before responding with a resounding 7-1 victory in game two. With the series split, the Oles sit just one win off outright third place in the conference standings.
Joe Zorn ’15 led the way for the Royals in the opening game, and the Oles were unable to contain his dominance. Zorn allowed just two runs throughout his seven innings pitched, restricting the Oles to just a two-run home run in the seventh inning. Chris Paradise ’14 led the way for the Oles, hitting the runs that got the team back into the game. Bethel collected ten hits throughout the game, scoring two runs in the sixth inning and another in the seventh.
Game two was a completely different story for both teams, with the Oles collecting 13 hits and seven runs. The Royals were unable to get into the contest, only managing five hits and one run that came in the final inning of the contest. Sam Maus ’14 and Jack Schechinger ’14 performed strongly, managing four and three hits, respectively. Nate Gelle ’15 pitched eight scoreless innings as the Oles raced away to a comfortable victory.
St. Olaf now sits at 19-15 overall, with a 9-7 MIAC record that puts them in equal fourth place. The Oles have a series of crucial games in the coming weeks to determine whether they will manage to sneak into the MIAC postseason tournament.
Photo Credit: MADISON VANG/MANITOU MESSENGER
