Baseball Snaps Saints Nine-Game Winning Streak

MEQUON, Wis. – The Saints of the College of St. Scholastica traveled south with a nine-game winning streak and a 10-1 record with votes in this week's D3 Baseball top-25 rankings. The Falcons sent the Saints back to Minnesota with a 10-3 record with a 4-3, 11-9 sweep to improve to 5-7 on the year.

The Saints struck first on Tuesday with two runs in the first inning on an error. Sophomore Tyler Bartczak (Crestwood, Ill.) struck out three batters in the first inning.

The Falcons rallied back with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Senior Jack Owens (Chicago, Ill.) started the inning with a bunt single and junior Kyle Flynn reached on an error. Junior Brynden Cleveland (Crestwood, Ill.) cleared the bases with a home run over the fence in right field.

Bartczak once again quieted the St. Scholastica bats in the second inning with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning with the bases loaded.

St. Scholastica tied the game in the third inning after the Saints started the frame with a leadoff double.

The Birds took back the lead in the fourth inning when sophomore Tyler Murray (Kankakee, Ill.) smacked a single to center field that scored senior Jimmy Juergensen (Cedarburg, Wis.) from third base.

The Blue and Gold once again filled the bases in the fifth inning. Sophomore Nikolai Nawracaj (New Lenox, Ill.) got out of the jam with a strikeout and a put-out to first base.

St. Scholastics once again threatened in the sixth inning with runners on second and third, but the Falcons ended the inning with a strikeout and groundouts to the pitcher and shortstop.

Freshman Alex Kuntz (Richfield, Wis.) came in for the save in the seventh inning and stranded two runners with a pair of strikeouts to end the game. Tyler Bartczak earned the win with six strikeouts in the start. Nawracaj and Kuntz both had two strikeouts in relief and Kuntz collected his first career save.

Brynden Cleveland led the first game with two hits and three RBI in the victory.

The Falcons wasted no time getting runs on the scoreboard in game two, with four runs in the first inning. Brynden Cleveland started the scoring with a double down the right-field line that plated Jimmy Juergensen from second base. Senior Cole Aguirre (Chino Hills, Calif.) singled up the middle to send in Cleveland. Sophomore Matt Miller (Fredonia, Wis.) scurried across home plate on a wild pitch and freshman Ryan Le (Orland Park, Ill.) allowed Aguirre to score on a single up the middle of the infield.

Senior Tyler Drezek (West Allis, Wis.) did not allow a hit in the first two innings and had three strikeouts in the first two frames.

St. Scholastica scored a run in the third inning on a triple into the gap in right-center field.

The Falcons responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning with the reigning NACC Position Player of the Week, Cole Aguirre sending the ball out of the park in right field.

The Saints struck back and took the lead with five runs in the fifth inning and added two more in the sixth inning.

Kyle Flynn started the comeback with a ground-rule double in the sixth inning to right field that scored Owens and freshman Connor Lasch (Chicago, Ill.). Cole Aguirre struck again with a double into the gap in right-center field that scored Kyle Flynn and sophomore Drake Grod (Mosinee, Wis.). Things turned for the worse for the Saints and Matt Miller and Cole Aguirre scored on a pair of wild pitches.

Junior Luke Bruckner (Fond du Lac, Wis.) shut the door on the Saints to secure the save.

Tyler Drezek finished with five strikeouts in the start and junior Owen Burns (Morris, Ill.) earned the victory with a strikeout.

Cole Aguirre led the second contest with four RBI, three hits and three runs.

The Falcons are 3-1 now all-time against the Saints. The last time, the two played, head coach Eddy Morgan was wearing a Saints uniform.

The Falcons open Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play on Saturday at Dominican.