Zachary Tlusty-

The baseball team won both games in their doubleheader against Augsburg this past Friday, March 29th. They scored 22 runs between both games, winning by 7-0 and 15-1. The Gusties improved to a 10-5 overall record and are off to a great start of conference play, with a record of 2-0 in the MIAC.

“We just keep hitting the ball hard, and good things happen. We have a dangerous lineup from top to bottom and even our backups showcased it as well,” Senior Bryce Novak said.

Novak increased his hitting streak to 15 games and additionally is only eight hits away from passing Alumni Tony Konicek for the program record in career hits, which has stood at 228 since 2008. “It’s definitely an honorable achievement, but I try not to let it distract me from playing my game and my approach,” Novak said.

First-year Brayden Kohls was named MIAC Player of the Week for his performance against the Auggies. He went 6-8 in the two games, hitting three doubles, cashing in two RBIs, and scoring five runs. Kohls was a big reason why the Gusties were so dominant against Augsburg. “It feels amazing; it’s a great honor and blessing to receive that award,” Kohls said.

In the first game of the doubleheader, Senior Mitch Casperson pitched seven innings scoreless, setting the tone for how this series would play out. He faced 26 batters, struck out 12 of them, and only allowed three hits. Casperson, with the win, improved to 4-1 on the season with an ERA of 2.57.

In the first inning, the Gusties wasted no time getting on the board, scoring two runs. Senior Drake Siens scored from Senior Gavin Baker’s double, and Senior Chris Knowles reached on a fielder’s choice and later scored on a beautiful RBI double from Junior Brady Schmitz. Gustavus carried that momentum into the second inning, increasing their lead to 5-0. Kohls would hit a lead-off double and would later score on Sophomore Sam Schneider’s base hit. Three batters later, Baker hit a sac fly to score Schneider. Knowles then hit a double to left center, scoring Novak, who reached on a single.

Gustavus scored its last two runs in the fifth inning. First-year Danny Gavin walked and scored on Kohls’ double, who later scored on Baker’s single. Baker led the Gusties at the plate, batting 3-for-3 with three RBI and a double.

“We just keep hitting the ball hard, and good things happen. We have a dangerous lineup from top to bottom and even our backups showcased it as well,” Novak said.

Senior Adam Biewen would take the mound and get the win for Gustavus in the second game of the doubleheader. He would pitch six innings, allowing one run on six hits, and have six punch outs, giving him a 2-1 record on the season with an impressive 2.01 ERA.

The game started with both teams pitching two scoreless innings. The Gusties would break the game open in the third inning as the Gusties took a 3-0 lead in the third. Baker hit a sac fly to score Novak, and Knowles followed with a two-run home run, his sixth of the season, extending his hitting streak to a program-record 27 games.

The Auggies scored their only run in the third inning on a sacrifice fly. However, Augsburg struggled heavily on offense this game, as they were limited to three hits and two walks.

Gustavus answered with two more runs in the fourth as Schmitz and Kohls scored on a single by Casperson. The score increased to 8-1 in the fifth after an RBI double by Kohls and an RBI single by Novak. Gustavus would later put this game away in the 8th inning as First-year Dylan Kopesky entered the game and got a pinch-hit grand slam. This was quickly followed up by a Sophomore Joe Burns pinch-hit homer. Increasing the lead to 14-1. Gustavus would score their 15th run by First Year Isaiah Hasz’s double, scoring Junior Connor Wiberg.

Kohls led the team at the plate, batting 4-for-5 with three runs, a double, and an RBI. First-year Benny Mcdonald and Sophomore Ben Anderson finished the game on the mound, each tossing a scoreless inning.

This was a good bounce-back performance for the Gusties as they dropped three of four in Missouri against Washington University. “We just gotta keep trusting in the work we put in as a team and going out there every day ready to go,” Kohls said.

Yesterday, Gustavus played a non-conference doubleheader against number eight-ranked UW-LA Crosse and is looking forward to another doubleheader this Saturday at home against Saint John’s. Those games are scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.