<rleton College Baseball team continued it’s strong play over the weekend to send out five seniors Ethan Guevin, Shane Henfling, Cameron McDonald-Hyman, Jay Melson, and Jake Riss in their final home game at Mel Taube Field, earning a split with #7 St. Thomas.
Ethan Guevin pitched a complete game holding the Tommies to one run on five hits with six strikeouts. Of the performance Head Coach Aaron Rushing said, “Beating a nationally-ranked St. Thomas team was a great way to send the seniors off their home field for the last time…Ethan really threw a gem. He kept them off balanced and showed again why he’s one of the top pitchers in Carleton history.”
The game was a pitchers duel from the get go as the first eleven Knights were retired in order by St. Thomas starter Bryce Gapinski. Jay Melson was able to break up the no no in the fourth inning with a two out single. However, the Knights were unable to get a run across until the sixth inning. Trailing 1-0, Russell Fujisawa doubled to lead off the inning ending Gapinkski’s outing. Cameron McDonald-Hyman and Melson drew walks to load the bases and Freshman Erik Fabry tied the game with a sacrifice fly. After another walk Alex Wirta singled home his area code 415 counterpart McDonald-Hyman putting the Knights on top for good.
Guevin worked a one-two-three seventh inning striking out two to complete Carleton’s first victory over St. Thomas since 1995, ending a twenty six game losing streak to the Tommies. The Knights seventeenth win of the year matches the second highest win total in the program’s history and the ninth conference victory is their best record in the MIAC since 1997.
In the second game both teams hit the ball much more prolifically combining for twenty one hits. St. Thomas scored five runs in the third inning off starter Alex Wirta, but the Knights answered with three of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Jay Melson cut the lead to one with a solo home run in the fifth but the Knights could not score in the final two innings. St. Thomas won the contest by a score of 7-4.
The Knights have three more conference double headers to finish the season with match ups against Bethel, St. Olaf, and Concordia. They hope to make the four-berth conference tournament for the first time ever as they currently hold third place in the MIAC behind St. Olaf and St. Thomas.