Oles sweep Kalamazoo

Mike Ludwig
March 24, 2009

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - St. Olaf swept Kalamazoo College 13-8 and 13-5 on Tuesday afternoon in a non-conference baseball doubleheader.

Game One: St. Olaf 13, Kalamazoo 5
Sam Baltes went 3-for-5 with a homer and five RBIs to lead St. Olaf to the lopsided win. Nick Fuerst added a 2-for-4 effort, driving in four.

With the game tied 2-2 after four St. Olaf erupted for four runs in the fifth, three on Baltes' one-out homer, and five more in the seventh.

St. Olaf took advantage of 11 walks issued by Kalamazoo pitchers.

Wes Olson worked six innings to earn the win on the mound. He allowed six hits, two walks and only one earned.

Game Two: St. Olaf 13, Kalamazoo 8
St. Olaf scored seven times in the bottom of the first inning and held held on for the 13-8 win and series sweep.

Tyler Johnson's homerun drove in three in the opening inning. Johnson is now 12-for-22 (.545) with three homers and 15 RBIs on the team's trip in Florida.

Seven of the Oles' starters had hits in the win, but no player had more than one.

Kalamazoo, which outhit the Oles 13-8, scored three in the second and two in the third to make it 8-5.

St. Olaf countered with a five-run fifth inning, helped by two errors and RBI singles from Carson Jones and Justin Tobias.

The Oles' Alex Beckman got the win, throwing four innings of middle relief behind starter Matt Neuger.

Larry Briski homered twice for the Hornets, who fell to 3-3 with the losses.

Contact media relations specialist Mike Ludwig at (507) 786-3834 or ludwigm@stolaf.edu.