Oracle Online

In game one, sophomore pitcher Theresa Boleen improved her season record to 11-7 after pitching six innings. The sophomore staff anchor struck out one batter, allowed five hits and two earned runs. First year pitcher Rachel Roberts came in to close the game out in the seventh to earn her third save of the year. Roberts allowed only one hit. Both pitchers are among the conference’s elite pitchers and are among the top leaders in season earned run average. Roberts and Boleen both sport a rare sub-2.00 era.

Augsburg spread out their two runs over the course of six innings but the Pipers did all the damage they needed to in the third inning. Sophomore centerfielder Jourdan Ulrich, 12 for 12 in stolen bases this year, became the Piper’s all-time base stealer earlier this season and her speediness proved useful in the inning. Thanks to an error by the Auggie third basemen and Ulrich’s flight of feet, the sophomore safely reached first. The next batter was hit by a pitch. With runners on first and second, the Pipers capitalized on Augsburg’s sloppy play. Sophomore left-fielder Grace Weinrich homered to put the Pipers up 3-1. The dinger was Weinrich’s fourth four-bagger of the year and made her the MIAC leader in the category. The Piper bats really came alive in game two of the series, though.

After saving the first game, Roberts was all warmed up to start the next game. The win improved her season record to 8-3. She struck out one in five innings of work and allowed no runs on four Auggie hits. The versatile first-year pitcher stymied the Auggie batters while the Piper offense dissected the Auggie pitching. Augsburg used three pitchers in the game, none of which lasted more than two innings.

It was the second inning when the Pipers started to tee-off at the plate and make use of sloppy play from the competition. The Pipers scored 10 runs that inning thanks to seven hits and in part to three errors by the Auggies. After a two-run triple from Weinrich that cleared the base paths, first-year Ashley Anderberg singled to bring in Weinrich. After a few more singles and a passed ball, the Pipers complicated things further for the ineffective Auggies.

At the beginning of the fourth, Augsburg put in three new position players. The lineup changes didn’t help. Augsburg relief pitcher walked to Pipers and it came back to haunt them later that inning. After putting two runners on base for free, the Pipers singled to score one. The next run scored was thanks to a wild pitch. The rest of the inning played out with an Auggie pitching change, more walks, and the Pipers doing just enough hitting to score five runs. The inning was telling of the entire game. They played solid enough not to lose the game, allowing Augsburg to essentially beat themselves.
Before the season started, the MIAC coaches poll ranked Hamline seventh behind Bethel. That prediction seemed realistic when the Pipers lost six games in a row at the beginning of April. Since that losing streak, Hamline has won 12 of their last 15 contests. Of those 12 victories, 11 were within the conference. The Pipers are currently seated in the fourth playoff seed of the MIAC Tournament. If the playoffs started today, the Pipers would have the final berth and would face-off against St. Thomas. The Tommies secured first place and playoffs over a week ago.

Hamline’s final game of the season is today at 4 p.m. The Pipers play UW-Stout at Stout. The MIAC Tournament is taking place at Hamline and Bethel this year. Considering the way the Pipers turned up their play for the majority of the conference schedule and if the trend continues throughout the non-conference contests, Hamline should have some sort of home field advantage. The MIAC Tournament plays out over May 4 and May 5.