Washington University Baseball Tops No. 13 St. Scholastica

St. Louis, Mo., March 3, 2012 – The Washington University in St. Louis baseball team continued its weekend slate with back-to-back games against No. 13 College of St. Scholastica and No. 16 Buena Vista University. The Bears beat St. Scholastica 11-8. WU was trailing 9-8 after four innings against Buena Vista when the game was called due to darkness. That game will resume at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

Washington U. 11, #13 St. Scholastica 8
The Bears rallied from an 8-3 deficit to post their second-straight win over a top-25 opponent. Junior David Madson doubled down the right field line with two outs and the bases loaded to break an 8-8 tie with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning and propel Washington U. to its third-straight victory.

Freshman Max Zhang picked up his first collegiate win in relief tossing three innings of shutout baseball. Zhang allowed three hits and struck out three as he extended his scoreless streak to 7 1/3 innings pitched. Freshman Brian Cizek tossed the ninth inning for his first career save.

The Bears jumped out in front of the Saints in the opening inning following an RBI single to left field by sophomore Andrew Dwoskin. St. Scholastica tied the game with a run in the third, but a pair of RBIs by senior Brandon Rogalski and freshman Zack Kessinger in the bottom half of the inning made it 3-1.

St. Scholastica (1-3) put three runs on the board in the fourth inning, two of which were unearned following a two-out error by junior second baseman Greg Gleicher. The Saints added four more runs in the top of the sixth after a two-RBI single by Parker Olson. The Bears made two errors in the sixth inning, as Berman and Zhang combined to allow just one hit.

Washington U. got the first three runners on base in the bottom half of the sixth inning, and cut the lead to 8-6 following a three-RBI double by freshman Andrew Goldstick. The Bears tied the game at 8-8 following an RBI single to right by Kessinger. The Bears sent 10 batters to the plate in the sixth.

Junior Taylor Berman made the start for Washington U. allowing three earned runs on seven hits with four walks. Berman is the first starter this season to go five or more innings. Washington U. had 13 hits in the victory, its third straight.

Washington U. 8, #16 Buena Vista 9 – Postponed Top of 5th
Washington U. met Buena Vista University for the second day in a row immediately following their win over St. Scholastica, and the Beavers hold a one-run lead after four innings of action. The game was postponed due to darkness before the top of the fifth inning with Buena Vista leading 9-8. The game will continue at 9 a.m. on Sunday, March 4.

Sophomore Brendan Rooney was pounded in the top of the first inning for four runs on four hits as Buena Vista hit a pair of RBI doubles. The Bears countered with four runs in the bottom of the first off of three hits and an error in center field. Junior Matthew Polites singled to center field, but the ball was mishandled by center fielder Nick Schlecht, which allowed Rogalski and Madson to score. Junior Seth Bensussen was thrown out at the plate on the play to end the inning.

Rooney lasted just 2 and 2/3 innings and gave up eight runs on nine hits, including three in the top of the third inning before yielding to senior Michael Fletcher. The Bears took back 4 runs in the bottom of the third on three hits, including a two-run double to right-center field by Goldstick. After Goldstick stole third, Billig drove him in with a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game at 8.