TUCSON, Ariz. -- After traveling to the ever-so-sunny state of Arizona, the Bruins start their weekend 2-0 with wins over Hamline University and Macalester College.
Game 1
Bats came alive in game one for the Bruins today, taking down Hamline U 11-1 in seven innings.
Two explosive innings were the story for Fox, scoring five runs in both the fifth and seventh to run-rule the Pipers. The Tucson Invitational caps their games after a team is up by ten or more runs due to the high number of games played on the weekend.
Aidan Rady was the star of the show on the bump for the Bruins, pitching six innings and only allowing four hits, one run, two walks, and punching out five. Once the Bruins finished the fifth inning up five runs, they were on cruise control from there on out.
Grant Baskin closed out the game on the mound, working himself out of a jam to keep the Pipers from crossing the plate. He finished with a strikeout and gave the Bruins some momentum headed into game two.
Four Bruins finished the game with multiple hits, with
Mason Eastman,
Evan Balingit,
Garrett Strube, and
Gabe DeBenedetto all putting up solid numbers.
Brennan Bates also had a 2 RBI double in his Bruins debut, bringing home Strube and
Carson Coulter in the top of the fifth.
Game 2
A sunset showdown featured electric pitching and a flurry of runs, with the Bruins needing extra innings to take down Macalester. The early portion of the game was rough for Fox, as the Scots jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings of play. They turned the entire game around in the fourth inning, though, tacking on six runs to take the lead.
Strube got on base to start the inning, earning a walk after a long at bat.
Noah Takayama then got the run train going, smashing the ball deep into left field to score Strube. Once the Bruins smelled blood, they poured on the runs.
Shane McClendon walked and a passed ball advanced him and Takayama to second and third. After a third walk in the inning,
Shayde Koga loaded up the bases, setting the scene for
Kaden Oshiro. After falling behind in the count, Oshiro bounced back and drew the inning's fourth walk to bring Takayama home.
After a
Mason Eastman sacrifice fly brought in run number three, the stage was set for
Evan Balingit. A deep shot to left center field went the distance, bringing in three and giving the Bruins a 6-5 lead.
Macalester bounced back with a run in the top of the 5th, evening the game at six a piece. It stayed that way through the bottom of the ninth inning with a fantastic pitching performance by
Jack Galanida. He went four innings allowing four hits, no runs, and a whopping six strikeouts.
After the Bruins didn't capitalize with runners on the base pads in the ninth,
Ryder Edwards took over in the top of the 10th. Two crucial strikeouts and and fly out to right field turned the inning over to the Bruin bats, firing up the squad.
Balingit opened the bottom of the tenth inning as the Bruins runner on second and took full advantage of it, stealing third to put himself in prime position with no outs.
Carson Coulter stepped up to the occasion, belting a ball to right center to send Balingit home.
Why it Matters
Fox takes is guaranteed a winning weekend after sweeping their matches today. They improve their record to 8-7 and are now over .500 on the season after back to back winning weekends.
Coach's Thoughts
"Tale of two games," said Bruins head coach
Kevin Kopple. "Really proud of the guys' response and finding a way to win in the second game. Hoping to finish the trip well tomorrow."
What Happens Next
The Bruins finish off their Tucson road trip with a game against Augsburg University tomorrow, March 16th. First pitch is scheduled for 9:00 am.
