Baseball into playoffs with sweep of Carleton

Mike Ludwig
May 2, 2009

NORTHFIELD, Minn. - The St. Olaf baseball team earned a spot in the MIAC playoffs with a 7-6 and 13-3 sweep of Carleton on Saturday afternoon at Carlander Stadium.

The Oles have qualified for each of the ten MIAC playoffs since the event started in 2000. St. Thomas, which swept its series on Saturday to win the regular season title and the top seed, has been in every MIAC tournament as well.

Game One: St. Olaf 7, Carleton 6
The Oles scored twice each in the fourth and fifth innings and held off the visiting Knights for the 7-6 win.

Tyler Johnson went 2-for-2 with a walk and Erik Olson pitched 2 1/3 innings of relief to pick up the win.

After St. Olaf took a 3-0 lead in the second, Carleton touched St. Olaf starter Pete Loizzo for four runs on four hits in the third inning.

The Oles then responded with two runs on Pat Wadzinski's two-run single in the fourth and added on in the fifth with a solo homer from Todd Mathison and a run-scoring single from Johnson.

Game Two: St. Olaf 13, Carleton 3
Tyler Jones and Nick Fuerst each went 3-for-4 and Sam Baltes was 2-for-4 with a grand slam as the Oles outhit the Knights 16-7 in the game two win to complete the sweep.

Carleton opened the game with a three-run first on homers from Jay Melson and Grant Bowen.

St. Olaf, which had hits from each of its nine batters, countered with four in their half and never turned back.

Johnson added a solo homer in the sixth. His 12 this season rank second all-time and are one from Brian Sprout's record (2001).

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