St. Bonifacius, Minn. – The Crown baseball team faced a stern test in their final series of the conference season in visiting UW-Superior. Both teams came into the series looking to secure a playoff berth, with a conference title not out of reach for Crown.
Northwestern took care of business, sweeping Martin Luther to win the regular season title by a single game, but Crown's sweep of the Jackets means that they have secured the two-seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
After a thrilling, come-from-behind win on Friday, Crown used two 10-run outbursts to take both games of Saturday's double-header.
In the opener, Crown got 5.2 strong innings from number two starter Tyler Van Cise who struck out nine while allowing four runs (three earned).
Jacob Crowley followed with 2.1 innings, allowing two runs on a hit and three walks, with four punchouts.
Jacob Van Dam closed the door in the ninth, walking one and fanning three.
Offensively, Crown got home runs from
Bailey Sarto,
Kyle Schroedle, and
Alejandro Molina and also had four doubles among 13 hits.
Rhys Dewick had two of those doubles, among three hits for the game, and scored twice. Sarto and Schroedle each recorded three RBI.
Game two of the twin bill would provide more drama after Crown led the entire way in game one. This game featured the visitors jumping out to a five run lead before the Polars stormed back thanks in large part to a seven run sixth inning.
Schroedle got some momentum going with a solo home run in the fifth, and then the floodgates opened in the sixth.
Sarto had a two run double that scored
Blake Boggs and
Mason Brock and Schroedle followed with his second homer of the game, and third of the day, to score Sarto and
Seth Betts.
It's important to note that when Schroedle hits them, they stay hit, as both home runs were tape-measure shots.
Rhys Dewick singled later in the inning and scored on an
Aaron Clogston home run and Crown took an 8-5 lead.
That advantage would be short lived, however, as the Yellowjackets scored four runs in the top of the top of the seventh to regain the lead, 9-8.
After
Mason Brock went to the mound from second base and threw a 1-2-3 ninth, Crown had one final chance to claim the sweep.
Clogston hit a towering pop-up over the mound that was misjudged and fell and then was pinch run for by Alexander Lecompte.
Chad Herrera pinch hit for Boggs and successfully laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Lecompte into scoring position.
Brock was then hit by a pitch and both runners moved up on a wild pitch, setting the table for Sarto with two runners in scoring position and just one out.
The Yellowjackets finally went to the bullpen, and after Sarto worked a 3-1 count, the senior went the other way with a slicing single toward the line, scoring both runners and sending the Polar bench onto the field to celebrate the walk-off win.
Brock earned the win for his scoreless ninth inning and Sarto and Schroedle shared the biggest offensive plaudits with four RBI each.
Most importantly, Crown will be the home team for their opening game of the conference tournament against three seed Bethany Lutheran. The final playoff spot is yet to be determined as Minnesota Morris is now tied with Superior in the loss column, with the two teams facing off in a double-header on Sunday in St. Cloud.
The Polars are scheduled for a non-conference double-header against Augsburg College on Monday before the UMAC tournament begins on Thursday.
