Tommies edge Oles in MIAC baseball playoffs

Mike Ludwig
May 9, 2009

DUNDAS, Minn. - The University of St. Thomas held off St. Olaf 4-3 in the winner's bracket final of the MIAC baseball playoffs on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Park.

The Tommies led 3-1 before scoring an unearned run on a two-out St. Olaf error in the top half of the eighth to make it 4-1.

St. Olaf then scored twice in its half of the eighth, sparked by an Erik Nelson double, to get within one.

After allowing a one-out hit in the ninth, UST reliever Brandon Stone got a groundout and a strike out to end the game.

St. Thomas starter Matt Schlud scattered seven hits and two walks, allowing three earned, to get the win for the Tommies.

UST now needs one victory to win the title, which would be its eighth in the ten years of the event. St. Olaf (2003, 2006) is the only other school to win the tournament.

The Tommies' Matt Olson went 2-for-4 with a homer and two runs in the win. Olson's solo homer led off the second inning and gave UST a 2-0 lead.

St. Olaf came within a run when Sam Baltes drove in Todd Mathison with two outs in the bottom of the second.

The Oles, who left 10 on base in the loss, loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth and sixth innings but couldn't push a run across. In the fifth, Tyler Jones hit a line drive in the gap but the Toms' Matt McQuillan made a diving catch to end the rally.

McQuillan was one of three Tommies, with Olson and Roy Larson, who had a 2-for-4 day at the plate.

Nick Fuerst went 3-for-4 and Pat Wadzinski 2-for-4 for the Oles (26-12), who will play Hamline in the loser's bracket final on Saturday at 5 p.m. St. Olaf defeated Hamline 11-3 in the first round of the tournament on Friday.

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