05/11/06

The top-seeded Saints (35-4) pounded out 19 hits to topple the 4^th-seeded Cougars (10-27) for the fourth time in six days. St. Scholastica closed out the conference portion of their schedule with a three-game sweep last weekend in Wade, outscoring the Cougars 39-4.

This afternoon’s win by the Saints places them in the winner’s bracket of the conference tournament where they will next play Northland College, an 8-1 winner over Bethany Lutheran College in an earlier game, in a 7 p.m. contest at Wade.

Ben Grams (3-0) started and picked up the win for the Saints, surrendering two runs – one unearned – on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings of work.

Eric Hagen and Mark Erickson combined to allow two runs on five hits over the final 4 2/3’s innings for the Saints.

Morris took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first inning but the Saints tied things up with one of their own in the bottom half of the inning.

In the third, Morris jumped back on top with a run but the Saints scored two in the bottom of the inning to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

With one in the fifth, three in both the sixth and seventh, and then five more in the eighth, the Saints reached double-digit runs against the Cougars for the fifth consecutive game dating back to last season.

Chad Weiss, Luke Olin, Steve Kraushaar, Mike Lewis and Kyle Wojtysiak each collected three hits apiece for the Saints offensive attack. Weiss scored four runs and stole four bases and Olin had two triples in the game.

With his pair of three-baggers, Olin’s season total reached 14, breaking the NCAA record of 13 set by Tom Mohl of Marietta (Ohio) College in 1982 over 63 games. Olin’s record took only 39 games.

 Play continues at Wade today and tonight with the loser’s and winner’s bracket games. The tournament championship round is scheduled for Friday with Noon and 4:30 p.m. contests.