Pipers' spring break success continues in sweep of Stout

A lead-off double from Dan Kaczrowski (Jr., St. Anthony, Minn.) to start game one set the tone for the Pipers play, as they opened the double-header with an 11-3 win.

Kaczrowski ultimately scored on a sacrifice fly by Andrew Bennett (Sr., St. Paul, Minn.) to give Hamline a 1-0 lead in the first. With two outs and the bases empty, Erik Voldness (Fy., Bloomington, Minn.) singled to left field. Two consecutive Blue Devil errors scored Voldness for a 2-0 lead, and landed Skip Fuller (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn.) and Kaczrowski at third and first.

The 3-0 lead came as Fuller scored on a balk.

A scoreless third inning led to another Hamline run in the top of the fourth when Tony Rogers (Fy., Elk River, Minn.) walked, advanced to second on a ground out, and then scored from second on a wild pitch.

In the fifth, Bennett singled and then stole second to get into scoring position for a Ben Smith (Jr., Orono, Minn.) RBI single to make the score 5-0. Smith then duplicated Bennett's base running, stealing second. Tres Humerickhouse's (Fy., Farmington, Minn.) sent Smith to third before he scored on a sacrifice fly to  by Lincoln Hughes (So., Inver Grove Heights, Minn.), giving Hamline a 6-0 advantage.

The Pipers then added four runs on four hits and no errors in the sixth, as Rogers, Fuller, Jayden Grupe (Sr., Trimont, Minn.), and Kaczrowski scored. Smitt collected two RBI on a single that scored Grupe and Kaczrowski.

The Blue Devils scored twice in the bottom of the sixth on three hits and no errors to cut the Hamline lead to 10-2.

In the top of the seventh, Voldness and Fuller drew two-outs before Kaczrowski brought Voldness home with a single to left field for the 11th Piper run.

In game two, Stout scored two runs in the top of the third to go ahead 2-0, before the Pipers put all four of their runs on the board in the bottom of the same inning.

After a first-out groundout, Fuller was sent to first base after being hit by a pitch. Kaczrowski then drew a walk before both runners were moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.

The Pipers loaded the bases when Grupe walked for the third straight free ride to first in the inning for Hamline. Bennett then hit a two-RBI single to drive home Fuller and Kaczrowski to tie the game, 2-2.

Another wild pitch moved Grupe to third base and Bennett to second before Humerickhouse was walked to load the bases once again in the inning.

The third Blue Devil wild pitch of the inning scored Grupe, and advanced Bennett and Humerickhouse one more base. After Hughes became the second hit batter of the Hamline half, the second UW-Stout pitcher of the inning added a fourth wild pitch to the box score, which led to the fourth Piper run in the frame when Bennett scored. A fly-out to left field ended the inning.

With Hamline up 4-2, UW-Stout scored one run in the top of the fifth, but it was all they could manage as Hamline finished the sweep with a 4-3 win in game two.

Kaczrowksi was 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI in the first game before going 2-for-3 with a run scored in the second game. Smith had three RBI in the opening game, while Bennett had two RBI in each game. 

Dominic Chenois (Jr., Hopkins, Minn.) earned the win in the first game, upping his record to 3-1 on the mound. Brian Martin (Sr., Golden Valley, Minn.) was the winning pitcher in the second game, going to 1-2 for the season.

The Pipers are now 6-6, 0-0 MIAC, and remain in Arizona for three more games.