Hughes, Sommer, Mathison lead Oles to 19-1, 8-0 sweep of Tommies to earn NCAA bid

Mike Ludwig
May 10, 2009

DUNDAS, Minn. - Ben Hughes and Alex Sommer each tossed complete game wins and Todd Mathison went a combined 7-for-10 with 10 RBIs as St. Olaf defeated St. Thomas 19-1 and 8-0 to win the MIAC playoffs and earn the MIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, which will begin later this week.

The NCAA appearance will be the Oles' third in the last four seasons and the 19th in school history. The team's MIAC playoffs title was the third (2003, 2006) in the ten-year history of the event. St. Thomas has won the other seven.

The Oles' championship marked only the second time, with St. Thomas in 2007, that a team has marched through the loser's bracket to win the event.

Game One: St. Olaf 19, St. Thomas 1
Hughes scattered eight hits in a complete game win and Mathison hit a first-inning grand slam to lead the Oles to the first game win.

After scoring four in the first, the Oles tacked on another six in the second sparked by RBI doubles from Pat Wadzinski and Mathison.

St. Olaf had seven in the lineup with at least two hits paced by Erik Nelson (2-for-6, four RBIs), Nick Fuerst (2-for-4, three RBIs, four runs) and Tyler Jones (2-for-3, four runs).

Game Two: St. Olaf 8, St. Thomas 0
The Oles scored five in the second on six hits, started by a solo homer by Sam Baltes.

Mathison added his second homer of the day to lead off the ninth and finished the game as one of three Oles with three hits.

Wadzinski was 3-for-4, Tyler Jones 3-for-5 and Mathison 3-for-5 with two RBIs in the win, the Oles' 13th in their last 15 outings.

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