Oles drop Tommies 5-2 to advance to championship series

Mike Ludwig
May 15, 2009

OSHKOSH, Wis. - Alex Sommer tossed seven-plus strong innings to lead the St. Olaf baseball team past St. Thomas, 5-2, in the winner's bracket final of the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional on Friday afternoon.

St. Olaf will play in the region's championship series, which begins tomorrow at 11 a.m. The team that advances from the loser's bracket will need to defeat St. Olaf twice to take the title.

Sommer allowed two runs on four hits and three walks in the win, his fifth (5-1) of the year.

Todd Mathison replaced Sommer in the eighth and, after giving up a double, settled to retire six of the last seven hitters to seal the win.

Mathison was 2-for-4 at the plate to lead the Ole offense, which exploded for five runs in the third inning. In the frame, Tyler Jones had a two-run single before Erik Nelson blasted a two-run homer to give the Oles a 4-1 lead.

St. Olaf outfielder Carson Jones added a 2-for-5 game for his third multi-hit effort in as many games. Jones has 67 hits this season, which are one away from Brian Sprout's record. Jones also scored a run to add on to his single-season record total (70).

The Tommies were led by Matt Olson's 2-for-4 day and a steady relief effort from pitcher Andy Gibbs. Olson singled and scored to give UST a 1-0 lead in the first.

Gibbs, who entered the game in the middle of the Oles five-run third, held St. Olaf scoreless over its last five at bats.

The Oles, 4-2 against UST this year, will make their first appearance in the regional final since 2000. St. Olaf, in its 19th appearance in the NCAA tournament, has never advanced to the Division III World Series.

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