NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College baseball team erased a pair of two-run deficits before eventually falling 7-6 (12 inn.) in a non-conference game against Crown College.
Blake Anderson (Sr./Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria) paced the Knights with two hits and three RBI.
Cayten Gardner (Jr./Claremont, Calif./Claremont) added 2.0 hitless innings of relief and two key RBI.
Crown (19-21 overall) scored a pair of two-out runs in the top of the first inning, but Carleton (6-20 overall) immediately responded as Anderson doubled home both
Jonathan Singleton (So./San Martin, Calif./Live Oak) and
Jacob Small (Jr./Chappaqua, N.Y./Horace Greeley) in the bottom of the frame.
The Knights moved in front in the fifth inning. Small doubled with two down and scored via a Crown throwing error. The lead was short-lived, however, as the Storm tied the game at 3-3 on a bases-loaded walk in the top of the sixth.
Carleton regained the advantage in the seventh. Small and
Aaron Berkowitz (So./Leawood, Kan./Pembroke Hill School) drew two-out walks, and Anderson followed with a single to right field that brought home Small.
The score remained 4-3 until the top of the ninth, when Kyle Schroedle—who entered the day tied for the Division III lead with 17 home runs—knotted things back up with a RBI double to the left-field corner.
The Storm plated a pair of unearned runs in the top of the 11th only to see the Knights rally back. Small and Berkowitz were both hit by pitches and a groundout by Anderson moved both runners into scoring position. Gardner singled through the left side, scoring both runners and tying the game at 6-6.
Crown plated another two-out run in the top of the 12th, and Carleton looked for the answer once more.
Thomas Wolf (Fy./Chatham, N.J./Pingry) worked a leadoff walk but was stranded in scoring position at the end of the game.
Matt Stamets (Sr./Bloomington, Ill./University) got the starting nod for the Knights, allowing two runs with six strikeouts over 5.0 innings. Wolf absorbed the loss as he was charged with three runs (only one earned) over 3.0 innings with four strikeouts.
Five of Crown's seven runs came with two out in the inning.
UP NEXT FOR THE KNIGHTS
Carleton hosts Saint Mary's University for a non-conference nine-inning game on Wednesday, May 12. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.
