MIAC Baseball Playoffs

Game 6: St. Thomas 6, Gustavus 5 [St. Thomas wins MIAC Playoff title]
Josh Howard's RBI double off the right-field fence in the eighth inning broke a 5-5 tie as the University of St. Thomas edged Gustavus Adolphus College, 6-5, for the MIAC Baseball Playoff title.

The Tommies (36-6) won the conference's post-season event for the fourth time in its five-year existence and pushed UST's winning streak to 11 games. The seventh-ranked Tommies now advance to the NCAA Division III Championships for the ninth time in 10 seasons under Coach Dennis Denning. It marked the first time in the MIAC regular-season champion has won the MIAC Playoff title.

It marked the sixth consecutive win for St. Thomas over the Gusties in the last two years and the fourth this season. In this year's four match-ups, all games were decided by two runs or less and two by one run.

The Tommies got another outstanding pitching performance from the tournament's most valuable player, Brian Krause, as he retired all eight batters he faced in notching his second win of the tournament. In seven and one-third innings in the three tournament games, he allowed one hit and one walk, fanned four and retired 22 of the 24 batters he faced.

The game was scoreless until the fifth when the Tommies posted a pair of runs, using a Howard double, two Gustie errors and a squeeze bunt to lead, 2-0. Gustavus answered right back in the sixth as Tony Konicek slammed a RBI triple off the center-field wall, followed by a Ben Sherer single. The Gusties could have scored more if not for the great play by UST right fielder Howard. Wade Vrieze doubled and moved to third on a bunt single. Trent Larson lifted a fly ball down the line and fairly deep and Wade Vrieze tried to tag up and score, but was gunned down at the plate on a strong throw from Howard and brilliant tag by catcher Goldberg.

The Tommies grabbed the lead back with a three-run sixth, highlighted by run-scoring doubles by Brett Olson and Goldberg and a Howard suicide squeeze bunt. UST couldn't make the lead hold up, though, as a single, walk and three-run homer by Wade Vrieze promptly tied the game at 5-5.

The homer forced Denning to bring Krause into the game and he shut down the Gustie attack.

Goldberg was 2-for-4 and Howard notched a pair of hits as well for St. Thomas. Wade Vrieze was the lone Gustie with more than one hit. Reliever Ricky Sabo (2-2) took the loss, recording only one out in the eighth in allowing three hits and one run. Gustie starter Jake Hauck scattered four hits and five runs, three earned, with two walks and one strikeout in seven innings of work. UST starter Ryan Ashner worked five and two-thirds of an inning and departed with a 2-1 lead in the sixth, but the UST bullpen was unable to make it stand.

The Gusties (29-15) set a new school record for wins and earned a spot in the MIAC Playoffs title game for the first time in school history. They won 13 of their final 17 games to reach the MIAC Playoffs for the second time in school history.

Game 5: Gustavus 7, St. Olaf 6 [St. Olaf eliminated]
Tyler Vrieze and Ben Scherer had three hits each, including RBIs in the ninth inning as third-seeded Gustavus broke to an early 4-2 lead and held off fourth seed St. Olaf, 7-6.

The Gusties (29-14), who beat the Oles for the third time in as many meetings this season, used a three-run third inning to break to an early 4-2 lead. Trent Larson reached on an error, followed by a Tony Konicek double. Scherer walked and Larson then scored on a balk. Ash Larson's run-scoring single scored Konicek, followed by Aaron Madson's RBI groundout.

The Gusties maintained the two-run cushion until the seventh, as Jeff Hudson and Brad Baglien ripped back-to-back doubles. A walk and hit batter loaded the bases and Dan Norsten lifted a sacrifice fly to right, tying the game at 4-4.

Gustavus grabbed the lead right back in the eighth. Tyler Vreize doubled with one out, followed by a Mike Holman single, putting runners on the corners. Wade Vrieze executed a safety squeeze bunt, popping the ball up between the pitcher and first baseman, allowing Tyler Vrieze to score. The Gusties posted two more runs in the top of the ninth as Konicek and Scherer ripped consecutive one-out doubles, with Tyler Vrieze's two-out single scoring Scherer with what proved to be the winning run.

The Oles (20-17) rallied in the ninth. An infield single by Baglien and error put two runners on with no outs. Trent Larson relieved Ricky Sabo for the Gusties and Pavelko greeted him with a single, loading the bases. Danny Johnson's sacrifice fly cut the Ole deficit to two, and a dribbler up the third base line scored the second run of the inning, although Andy Schmidt, who came in when Larson moved to pitcher, made a nifty pickup to record the out. Schmidt gobbled up a grounder, firing across the diamond to record the final out of the game.

Baglien was 4-for-5 with a double, RBI and run scored for the Oles in his collegiate finale. Pavelko was 3-for-4 in his farewell game as well. Gustavus, which pounded 15 hits, was paced by Konicek's 3-for-5 day with two doubles and two runs scored. Scherer was 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Tyler Vrieze added three hits, including a double.

Gustie starter Tom Hutton (5-2) picked up the win, going seven innings and allowing eight hits and four runs, three earned, with four strikeout and three walks. Larson notched his second save of the season, allowing only one hit in the final inning. Joe Blankush (2-3) suffered the loss in relief of St. Olaf starter Will Huepenbecker lasted only 2.1 innings, as the Gusties scored four runs, three earned, on six hits.

The win ends the Oles season, marking the first time in the five-year history of the MIAC Baseball Playoffs that Matt McDonald's club hasn't advanced to the title game. Gustavus moves on to face top seed and tournament unbeaten St. Thomas on Saturday. If the Tommies win, they'll clinch their fourth MIAC Playoff title in five years. If Gustavus can beat UST, it will force a second game for the title, to be played on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Game 4: St. Olaf 7, Concordia 0 [Concordia eliminated]
Eric Tobias struck out a MIAC Playoff record 18 batters in notching a complete-game five-hitter as fourth seed St. Olaf eliminated second-seeded Concordia, 7-0.

Tobias (6-2) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first, struck out six consecutive batters spanning the third and fourth innings, and retired 12 of the final 15 batter he faced. The Oles (20-16) staved off elimination by notching a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth inning each. Brent Berry's two-run double highlighted the fourth, while Dan Norsten plated two runs with a double of his own in the fifth. St. Olaf added three runs in the seventh as Berry ripped another two-run double, with a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch accounting for the third run.

Berry, Norsten and Joe Pavelko notched two hits each for the Oles, who advance to Saturday play to face Gustavus in an elimination contest. K.C. Solum was 2-for-4 for the Cobbers (22-15). Bryan Romsa (6-4) suffered the loss, allowing 10 hits and four earned runs, as the Cobber defense had four errors, leading to three unearned runs.

Game 3: St. Thomas 4, Gustavus 2
Brian Krause pitched two and two-thirds innings of hitless relief and first seed St. Thomas used a daring base-running play to score twice in the ninth and beat Gustavus, 4-2.

The Tommies (35-6) found themselved tied at 2-2 heading into the ninth. After two quick outs, UST's Nick Bellmont doubled and moved to third on Casey Garven's infield single. Garven proceeded to walk off first base, purposefully getting himself into a rundown. The pitcher threw to the second baseman, and as soon as the second baseman threw to the first baseman, Bellmont broke for home. The throw to the first baseman hit the runner in the shoulder, allowing Bellmont to score, and a subsequent throwing error to the plate moved Garven to third. He scored an insurance run on Mike Moran's RBI single.

The Gusties rallied from an early 2-0 deficit by getting solo homers from Tony Konicek and Tyler Vrieze in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively. St. Thomas scored its first two runs when Mike Kimlinger led off the game with a homer and in the fifth on a Kimlinger run-scoring single.

Konicek was 3-for-4 with the homer for the Gusties (28-14). Kimlinger and Garven notched two hits each for the Tommies. Krause (7-3) didn't allow a hit in facing eight batters, getting seven to ground out, including five to himself. Trent Larson (3-2) took the loss in relief of starter Ben Levy, allowing four hits and two runs, both unearned. Levy worked seven solid innings in giving up a mere four hits and two runs.

The win puts the Tommies in the drivers seat for their fourth MIAC Playoff title in the last five years. The loss drops Gustavus into the loser's bracket, as the Gusties will face fourth seed St. Olaf in an elimination game to kick off play on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Game 2: Gustavus 7, Concordia 2
Aaron Madson's sacrifice fly in the ninth plated the eventual winning run as third-seeded Gustavus rallied from a 6-1 deficit to beat second seed Concordia, 7-6.

The Gusties (28-13) scored one run in the seventh, two in the eighth and three in the ninth for their seventh consecutive win. Andy Schmidt (4-2) worked the final three and two-thirds innings for the victory.

Concordia raced to an early 3-0 lead, extended it to 4-0 and still led 6-1 after Jesse Barnacle and Jack Dwyer tallied RBI singles. The Gusties' Tyler Vrieze reached on a one-out single and came around to score on an error. Ash Larsen's two run homer in the eighth brought the Gusties within striking distance heading into the ninth.

A Bryant Rogness single, walk and Tony Konicek single loaded the bases. Ryan Hebrink relieved starter Jeremy Hinderks. After a strikeout, Larsen slammed a double to right to tie the game. Madson's sacrifice fly scored Konicek with the eventual winning run.

Larsen was 2-for-5, driving in five of the seven Gustie runs. Ben Sherer picked up three hits, as did K.C. Solum for Concordia. Schmidt allowed only one hit in his near-four inning stint. Jeremy Hinderks (8-5) suffered the loss, allowing 11 hits and seven runs, five earned, fanning 12 batters.

Game 1: St. Thomas 3, St. Olaf 2
Mike Moran's RBI single in the bottom of the sixth broke a 2-2 tie as top-seeded St. Thomas held off fourth seed St. Olaf, 3-2.

The Tommies (34-6) took a 2-0 lead on Brett Olson's run-scoring single in the third and Eric Bloom's RBI single in the fifth. The Oles (19-16) tied the game in the top of the sixth on Nick Rost's third homer of the year despite a great effort by UST's right fielder Josh Howard. Howard nearly robbed Rost but couldn't hang onto the ball, knotting the score at 2-2.

The Tommies answered right back in the bottom of the frame on Moran's single to right, scoring Casey Garven, who led off the inning with a single. The Oles threatened in the ninth off UST reliever Brian Krause, getting a runner to second with two outs, but they couldn't push the tying run across.

Mike Rathun (8-0) allowed only five hits and fanned seven in picking up the win for the Tommies. Krause allowed only one hit in two innings of work to pick up his fifth save of the season. Charlie Rudd (5-3) went the distance for St. Olaf, allowing 10 hits and three runs, all earned, while striking out seven. Moran and Zach Goldberg picked up two hits each for UST while Brad Baglien and Rost tallied two hits apiece for St. Olaf.