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Oles Fall to Cobbers in First Round

Jason Welle
May 12, 2001

The St. Olaf College baseball team dropped its matchup with Concordia College 6-4 in the first round of the MIAC tournament this afternoon. The top-seeded Oles led for most of the game, but couldn?t hold on down the stretch as a five-run eighth inning allowed the Cobbers to eclipse their lead.

After stranding two in the first inning, St. Olaf finally got on the board in the third inning. Cobber pitcher Travis Anderson walked Brian Sprout (Jr., Lake City, Minn.) with one out before Concordia pulled him in favor of sidearmer Justin Berg. Berg then gave up three consecutive hits that scored three runs; a single to Casey Coulsen (Sr., Rosemount, Minn.), a double to Dan LeManna (Jr., So. St. Paul, Minn.), and a single to Brad Baglien (FY, Mounds View, Minn.). Berg battled his way out of the inning after giving up three runs and giving the Oles an early lead. He then settled down, allowing only one hit in the next three innings.

Meanwhile, Ole hurler Erik Goodmanson (Jr., Albert Lea, Minn.) pitched solidly, allowing only one baserunner in the first four innings. Goodmanson had some control problems in the fifth when he walked Ryan Hebrink and then threw a wild pitch that allowed Hebrink to advance all the way to third. Hebrink then scored easily on a ground ball, making the score 3-1.

The Oles threatened again in the seventh inning, when they used two hits and a walk to load the bases with only one out. Berg got himself out of a jam, striking out LeManna and getting Baglien to ground out and end the inning. Concordia did more than threaten in the top of the eighth, when it pounded Goodmanson with a five-hit, five-run barrage. Back-to-back singles with one out allowed the Cobbers to sacrifice home a run and make the score 3-2. Chad Felstul followed with a two-run homer to give Concordia the lead. After another Cobber single, Jeremy Morgenroth emptied the bases again with another two-run shot that gave Concordia a 6-3 advantage.

After going down 1-2-3 in the eighth, St. Olaf attempted a rally in the bottom of the ninth to salvage the victory. Steve Ryan (Jr., So. St. Paul) hit a double down the right field line, followed by a Sprout single that advanced Ryan to third. Ryan then scored when Coulsen reached on an error, bringing the Oles within 6-4 and leaving two runners on for LaManna. Berg got LeManna to ground into a 4-6-3 double play that ended the game and sent the Cobbers along in the winner?s bracket.

Berg picked up the win for Concordia, pitching six and two-thirds innings, giving up nine hits and striking out five. Goodmanson gave up eight hits and fanned seven Cobbers in seven and two-thirds innings of action, taking the loss for St. Olaf. Sprout, the two-time MIAC Player of the Year, was two for three with two walks, followed by Coulsen and Ryan who were both two for four.

Concordia advances to play the University of St. Thomas, the 10-2 winner of its game against St. Mary?s University this afternoon. St. Olaf moves on to play St. Mary?s in an elimination game; the loser will be eliminated and the winner will play the loser of the St. Thomas-Concordia matchup on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Contact Pat Buresh at 507-786-3315 or buresh@stolaf.edu.