College baseball: St. Scholastica falls to Northwestern in Saints’ last game as UMAC member
Philip Wall pitched a five-hitter and Aaron Severson and Sam Peterson hit three hits apiece as Northwestern made their way to their first UMAC baseball tournament title with a 10-1 win over St. Scholastica on Saturday before 242 at the Reynolds Field in St. Paul.
This was the last UMAC competition in St. Scholastica, as the Saints will participate in the Minnesota Interuniversity Athletic Conference next season.
Wall finished with two strikeouts and five goals, allowing only Jake Schelonka’s RBI single to score Mitchell Novak in the sixth inning. Schelonka and Kam Larson had two hits each to lead the Saints (20-9), while Mason Skrede added two hits, two runs, an RBI and a walk for the Eagles (32-10), who got 13 hits. CSS would have had to defeat them twice to earn the automatic conference spot in the NCAA Division III tournament.
Instead, it will be the Eagles who make their first appearance at the NCAA tournament.
Northwestern watched every game of the seed in two tournament games against the second-seeded Saints, edging them 27-3, including a 10-seeded Saints on Friday for the first time in program history.
The Eagles’ 32 wins are an academic record.
Novak scored the two points for the Saints – representing the three CSS races of the day – and had three hits against the Vikings. Schelonka had two hits as the duo combined five of St. Scholastica’s seven hits in the victory.
Senior Dallas Miller did the rest as the right-hander pitched a three-hitter, with eight strikeouts to help overcome five goals.
Vikings starter Adam Fjerstad allowed just one run in 5 2/3 innings while reliever Logan Nissen pitched the rest of the course, taking the loss.