The Oles' Erik Nelson sees his double off the bat in game one of the split with Hamline on Tuesday. Nelson went a combined 4-for-5 in the series.
Hamline 5, St. Olaf 2 (Box) | St. Olaf 30, Hamline 6 (Box)

Oles power past HU in game two to save split

Mike Ludwig
April 30, 2009

NORTHFIELD, Minn. - After dropping game one 5-2, the St. Olaf baseball team exploded for 30 runs on 29 hits, including three homers from Tyler Johnson, in a 30-6 game two victory over Hamline University in a MIAC baseball series on Thursday afternoon.

Game One: Hamline 5, St. Olaf 2
The Oles scored twice before loading the bases with two outs in the seventh, but Nick Fuerst popped up to end the game, which snapped the Oles' six-game winning streak.

St. Olaf stranded nine baserunners in the loss.

Hamline third baseman Tres Humerickhouse went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs in the win.

The Oles' Carson Jones went 3-for-3.

Game Two: St. Olaf 30, Hamline 6
Johnson (3-for-5) and Sam Baltes (4-for-5) each drove in five runs for the Oles, who had nine in the lineup have at least two hits.

St. Olaf scored seven times in the first, all with two outs. The Oles added a run in the second and nine in the third, sparked by Johnson's second homer of the game.

Carson Jones went 4-for-5, Erik Nelson 3-for-3 and Fuerst 3-for-4 for St. Olaf in the win.

Dan Kaczrowski went 3-for-4 for the Pipers, who had a two-homer performance from Andy King.

Notes
- Ten of the 11 homers hit in the windy doubleheader came in the second game.

- The Oles unveiled a new scoreboard for the twinbill, just in time to tally a combined 43 runs and 54 hits in the series.

- The 30-run output by St. Olaf tied as the second-most all-time, behind only the 2002 team's 39-run (W 39-4) effort in game one of a doubleheader against Augsburg, almost seven years to the day (April 29, 2002) from Thursday's win... In the 2002 game, St. Olaf hit 12 homeruns led by Brian Sprout's homerun cylce (solo, two-run, three-run, grand slam)... The Oles other 30-run game came in a win over Austin College, 30-6, on March 24, 1987.

- With the split, St. Olaf (23-11, 12-6 MIAC) moved to a game behind first place St. Thomas (13-5 MIAC) with one series left... The Oles and Tommies have made it to each of the MIAC's four-team playoffs since the event's inception in 2000.

- St. Olaf head coach Matt McDonald moved within three wins of 400 for his career with the game two win... In 15 seasons, McDonald is 397-186 (.681).

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