Green Knights Need Extra Innings Twice to Sweep Beloit

From Sports Information Director, May 2, 2015 | Baseball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College had to go to extra innings in both ends of its Midwest Conference doubleheader with Beloit College but earned victories in both, netting triumphs of 2-1 in 11 innings and 8-7 in 10 innings at Larry Van Alstine Field at Mel Nicks Sports Complex.

The Green Knights (19-15, 11-3 MWC North) locked up their 15th MWC Tournament appearance in 17 years under coach Tom Winske's tutelage. The MWC Tournament will be held at the South Division champions May 8-9, with that site to be determined by the end of action Sunday.

The opener was a taut pitchers' duel between St. Norbert's Matt Freeman and Beloit College's Ryan Kaveney. Beloit scored a run in the top of the fifth inning on Joey Casa's two-out single to score Jake Parrott. It appeared Kaveney would make that run stand up until St. Norbert's Troy Rottier led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a solo home run to right field.

Beloit (17-15, 5-9) threatened in both the 10th and 11th innings, leaving two runners on in each frame. Spencer Larson then doubled off Beloit relief pitcher Andrew Kane to lead off the bottom of the 11th. Following a sacrifice bunt, Eric Feldner's squeeze bunt brought home Larson with the winning run.

Freeman worked 10 innings, allowing nine hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts. Nate Schadrie picked up the win with one inning in relief. Kaveney went nine innings for Beloit, allowing six hits with five walks and 11 strikeouts. Kane took the loss.

Rottier, Larson and Derek Klegin all had two hits apiece in the opener for St. Norbert.

St. Norbert looked like it would cruise to a sweep in the nightcap, building a 7-0 lead after five innings. The Green Knights scored two runs in the first inning on two hits and two Beloit errors. Tyler Brown doubled and Larson singled to drive in two runs in the third. St. Norbert scored three times in the fifth inning on three hits and one Beloit error.

Beloit rallied in the seventh with three runs on six hits, and Austin Martinez's two-run home run in the eighth cut its deficit to 7-5. Alex Lawrence's two-out single in the top of the ninth knotted the game at 7-7.

Ray McDonald homered off Kane on the first pitch of the bottom of the 10th inning to give St. Norbert its sixth consecutive victory.

Klegin, Rottier and Larson all had two hits apiece for St. Norbert. Schadrie earned the win with three innings of relief, allowing three hits and three runs (one earned).