Pipers earn split with Oles

In the opener, St. Olaf scored a run in the top of the first to get the game started. That run was countered by three Piper runs in the bottom of the same inning, including two on a homerun by Ben Smith (Jr., Orono, Minn.), his second of the year.

St. Olaf climbed back into a tie with Hamline, scoring one run each in the second and fourth innings.

The Pipers won the game in the bottom of the seventh, when with two outs and Dan Kaczrowski (Jr., St. Anthony, Minn.) on third, Smith singled to right field for his third RBI of the game, and the 3-2 victory for Hamline. Andrew Beltosky (So., Minneapolis, Minn.) earned the win on the mound in relief, throwing three innings and striking out four.

The win was the first for the Pipers over the Oles since a 5-2 win on April 27, 2004.

St. Olaf would earn the split by jumping out to a quick 6-0 lead in the first inning on five hits. Hamline scored one in the bottom of that inning, but was not able to bring the game any closer.

The Oles added a run in the third, four in the fifth and three in the sixth, before the Pipers added their second in the sixth.

Josh Maus (Sr., Northfield, Minn.) went 4-for-4 from the plate, bringing in four runs and scoring two of his own for St. Olaf in game two. Nick Fuerst (Jr.,Oakdale, Minn.) also had four RBI in that game on 2-for-4 hitting, scoring a run. Andy Dimich (Sr., Northfield, Minn.) was the Oles’ winning pitcher, throwing six innings and three strikeouts.

With the split, the Pipers’ record is now 16-11, 5-3 MIAC, while the Oles are 14-9, 4-3 MIAC. Hamline will travel to St. Thomas on Tuesday, April 22, at 2:30 p.m. in an MIAC match-up.

Hamline University belongs to the NCAA Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, one of the most competitive conferences in the nation. Hamline supports 19 intercollegiate athletic teams for men and women. Find out more about Hamline athletics at www.hamline.edu/hamline_info/athletics.

Creative and innovative teaching and learning attract a diverse student body of nearly 4,600 undergraduate and graduate students to Hamline University. Challenged to create and apply knowledge in local and global contexts, Hamline students develop an individual and community ethic of social justice, civic responsibility, and inclusive leadership and service.

Ranked first in Minnesota among comprehensive master’s universities by U.S.News & World Report, Hamline is also Minnesota’s first university, founded in 1854, and among the first co-educational institutions in the nation.