04/26/07

Starting pitcher Mark Moriarty had a dominating day on the mound for the Saints in their 8-0 conference win over the host Vikings from Bethany Lutheran on Thursday afternoon in Mankato, Minn.

The senior allowed only two hits and one walk and with 12 strikeouts in the game, moved to within two of third place on the team's all-time leader board. Jake Eiler (2002-05) currently sits in third place with 238 strikeouts but is soon to be passed by Moriarty who now has 236. "Mo" is only 22 behind career leader, and current Saints assistant coach, Corey Kemp's (1998-2001) 258 strikeouts.

Adding the punch at the plate while Moriarty worked over the Viking hitters was Steve Kraushaar, Brandon Swartz and Darin Carlson as each finished with a pair of hits for the Saints in the win.

Kraushaar singled in the Saints' first run in the fourth then came in to score on a Swartz single two batters later.

Carlson's double in the fifth translated into a third run for St. Scholastica after he came in to score on a clutch, two-out single from Blake Eller.

Up 3-0 on the Vikings entering the seventh inning, the Saints put together one of their patented big innings, scoring five runs due in large part to a grand slam homerun from Kraushaar.

The win improves the Saints to 25-4 on the year and 11-0 in the UMAC. The loss drops second place Bethany Lutheran to 115-10 and 10-2.