You reached this page through the archive. Click here to return to the archive.

Note: This article is over a year old and information contained in it may no longer be accurate. Please use the contact information in the lower-left corner to verify any information in this article.

Baseball team splits doubleheader with Bethel

Lars Finanger
April 24, 2002

The Ole clubbers could only manage to pull out a split against the Bethel Royals. After winning the first game 11-1, the Oles dropped the second one 5-3.

The Ole sticks came out swinging in the first game, pounding out thirteen hits and winning the contest 11-1. Shortstop Brian Sprout (Sr, Lake City, MN) and DH Kevin Quame (Sr, Benson, MN) each had three hits to lead the offensive attack.

The Oles scored three runs in each of the first two innings and four in the third to jump ahead of the Royals. Sprout led off the game with a single, advanced to second on Dan LaManna's (Sr, South St. Paul, MN) bean ball, and scored on Brad Baglien's (So, Arden Hills, MN) RBI single. LaManna scored on first baseman Mike Ludwig's (Jr, Blaine, MN) sacrifice fly, and Baglien came in on a Steve Ryan (Sr, South St. Paul, MN) sacrifice fly.

Quame sparked the four run third inning with his lead off triple. After Quame scored on Sprout's second double of the game, LaManna singled and Baglien reached on a fielder's choice. LaManna and Baglien both scored on Ludwig's one out double. Ludwig scored on Joe Pavelko's (So, Richfield, MN) single, increasing the lead to 10-1. Ludwig and Pavelko both had two hits in the game, with Ludwig also knocking in three RBI's.

Charlie Ruud (So, Cannon Falls, MN) went the distance on the hill and picked up his sixth win of the season. The right-hander allowed only one run and seven hits while striking out seven Royal batters.

In the second game, the Oles scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh but stranded the bases loaded with one out and came up short with the 5-3 loss.

Ryan and Lars Finanger (Sr, Decorah, Iowa) led off the seventh with consecutive singles before Joe Hammond (Sr, Nellsville, WI) flew out to deep left field for the first out. After a Quame single scored Ryan, Sprout loaded the bases with a single of his own. LaManna drove in both Finanger and Quame with his double down the right field line. Baglien was hit by a pitch to load the bases with only one out, but Royal reliever Josh Haddock got Ludwig to fly out and Pavelko to ground out to preserve the Royal victory.

Bethel's designated hitter Travis Wermedal stroked a two out, two-run homer in the bottom of the first, giving the Royal's an early 2-0 lead.

The Royals tacked on another run in the fourth and two more in fifth, increasing the lead to 5-0. Wermedal scored in the fourth on an outfield error and Jon Gaylord and Peter Harrell scored in the fifth on Harrell's double and an errant throw.

Erik Goodmanson took the loss on the hill, allowing only seven hits and three earned runs while striking out three.

The split dropped the Oles to 11-3 in conference and 18-10 overall. The Royals improved to 3-7 in conference and 8-19 overall. The Oles dropped to second place in the MIAC after St. Thomas swept St. Mary's 5-3 and 12-8 in Winona, improving to 10-2 overall.

The 25th ranked Oles travel to Decorah, Iowa to play Luther College in a Wednesday doubleheader beginning at 2:30. The Oles will play Augsburg College on Saturday, April 27 at 1:00 in Minneapolis.

Contact Le Ann Finger at 507-786-3315 or finger@stolaf.edu.