< waiting more than a week to get its first conference games played, the Carleton College baseball team made up for lost time, scoring early and often in sweeping Macalester College by scores of 18-5 and 18-6 (7 inn.) The Knights pounded out 34 hits on the day, including home runs by sophomore Hayden Tsutsui and seniors Ray Yong, David Stillerman, and Josh Zoellmer.
Not surprisingly, the Knights saw several amazing offensive performances. Nolan Baker ‘15 finished the day 5-of-8 with three doubles, four runs scored, and a whopping 10 RBI. Tsutsui was a single shy of the cycle in game one and wrapped up the day with five extra-base hits. Jeff Dsida ‘14 raised his batting average to a team-best .558 with a 5-for-6 stat line in game two, including two doubles and a triple.
Although the contests were played at Mel Taube Field, the Knights played as the visiting team as the games were shifted away from the Scots’ home field in St. Paul, Minn., due to poor field conditions.
In the opener, the Knights immediately grabbed the lead with a three-run top of the first. Kevin Johnson ‘14 laced a two-out single and Baker followed with a two-run base hit down the left-field line. Carleton scored five more times in the second, keyed by Tsutsui’s two-run triple to left center.
The Knights blew the game open with five more tallies in the fifth. Tsutsui ripped his first home run of the season driving a pitch over the left-field wall. The next batter, Yong smashed a ball that clanged off the right-field foul pole for his second collegiate HR.
After watching Tsutsui and Yong go back-to-back, Johnson tried to get into the act but hit the ball to the deepest part of the ballyard and had to settle for a double. Baker brought him home with a two-bagger of his own, giving the Carleton rightfielder four RBI over the first five innings.
Carleton plated four more runs over the final two innings of the opener, then carried the momentum over to the nightcap, scoring six times in the top of the first. Dsida ripped a leadoff triple and Stillerman followed with his first career homer, a drive to deep right-center field. A Tsutsui double was followed by a pair of walks, a two-run double by Cody Bohlman ‘16, sacrifice fly by Baker, and RBI single from Zoellmer.
The Knights would score three more times in the second and third innings to remove any doubt about this one.
Zoellmer put the exclamation point on the game-two victory with his second home run of the season. A three-run shot that gave Carleton the 18-6 lead in the top of the seventh.
Jack Violetta ‘16 benefited from the run support and moved to 3-0 on the season. He worked 6.0 innings on the bump and struck out nine batters, the highest total by a Carleton pitcher since Ethan Guevin fanned 11 on April 14, 2008.
The next day, Carleton traded games with rival St. Olaf College, with the Knights seizing the first game, 11-6, thanks to a late offensive outburst before conceding the latter tilt, 13-8. Tsutsui collected six hits and five RBI on the day.
St. Olaf drew first blood in the opener as Sam Maus opened the contest with a home run to left center. Carleton responded at the bottom of the inning, as Tsutsui doubled in a run and later scored on a Kevin Johnson single.
The Oles added a run in the second and another in the third to claim a one-run lead, but Carleton responded in the bottom of the third with a repeat of the opening frame. Tsutsui picked up another RBI double, and Johnson chased him home with a single to left field.
Johnson’s double in the fifth earned him his third RBI of the contest, before a pair of Ole tallies during the top of the sixth tied the game, 5-5.
In the bottom of the inning, the Knights’ bats came to life in a big way. After a single to right field by David Stillerman loaded the bases, the Oles went to the bullpen once more, summoning Joey Voss, who entered the day with a 0.52 ERA through 17.1 innings. Tsutsui greeted the St. Olaf reliever by ripping a two-run single up the middle, making the Carleton catcher 3-for-4 with four RBI. Ray Yong followed with a single through the right side that brought another Knight home. Johnson smashed a double to complete his 4-for-4, five-RBI game. When the inning finally ended the Knights led 11-6 and would close out the contest by that tally.
Nolan Baker benefited from the late rally and improved to 2-0 on the season. He surrendered three earned runs over his 6.0 innings on the mound.
Every member of both team’s starting lineup picked up at least one hit in the nightcap. The Oles captured the momentum early on, scoring six times over the first four innings. Carleton stayed closed with a single tally in the third and added three more in the fourth on consecutive RBI singles by Johnson, Willie Freimuth ‘17 and Jack Atterberry ‘17.
St. Olaf re-seized control of the contest by scoring two runs in the fifth and five more in the top of the seventh to build a 13-4 advantage.
In the bottom of the seventh, Stillerman’s deep sacrifice fly brought home Carleton’s first run of the inning. Another Tsutsui hit later, Yong homered for the second time in as many days, clearing the scoreboard in right field to make the score 13-7. The Knights picked up another run in the eight as Cody Bohlman tripled and scored on Atterberry’s second hit of the contest.