ST. PETER, Minn. – Sam Gossard homered in each contest as the Carleton College baseball team split a pair of games – both with wild finishes — against Gustavus Adolphus College. The Knights lost the opener, 8-6, then hung on to win game two by an 8-7.
 
Toeing the rubber for the first time in over two weeks due to an ankle injury, righthander Ryan Antrim tossed a career-high 8.0 innings in the second contest and picked up his first career victory.
 
"I'm really proud of the way we competed throughout the conference season," said Carleton head coach Alec Holcomb. "It was an awesome last start of his Knights' career by Ryan (Antrim) and a couple huge swings by Gossard. We're excited to finish the season strong on Friday at home for Senior Day!"
 
Game 1 Recap
Carleton (11-22, 8-12 MIAC) built a 5-2 lead midway through the fifth inning only to see the Gusties (19-15, 10-8 MIAC) score three times in the bottom of the frame to tie the game before they tacked on three more tallies in the sixth to take the lead. The hosts then had to hang on in the final inning as the Knights got the go ahead run on base.
 
Gustavus notched the game's first run in the bottom of the second, only to see Gossard go deep to the opposite field, tying the game 1-1 in the third inning with his fourth long ball of the year.
 
Nathan Barnhart's RBI groundout and a wild pitch gave the Knights a 3-1 advantage in the fourth inning, but the Gusties got one of those runs back on Brady Schmitz's long ball in the home half of the frame.
 
Carleton extended its lead to 5-2 in the fifth as Gossard scored on a wild pitch and Aaron Rice knocked a run-scoring single to centerfield. The hosts responded with three runs to tie the game at 5-5. With baserunners on second and third with one out, Jackson Corcoran entered from the bullpen and struck out back-to-back hitters to extinguish the threat.
 
With two on and two out in the bottom of the sixth, Chris Knowles' two-run triple and Schmitz's RBI single pushed the Gusties in front, 8-5.
 
Ananth Iyer's single to start the top of the seventh preceded back-to-back walks drawn by Steven Antrim and Jordan Appelbaum. After a strikeout, an errant pickoff attempt permitted Iyer to waltz home. Two batters later, John Hurtubise walked as ball four sailed past the catcher. Unfortunately, the ball bounced off the backstop right back to the catcher, causing the Knights to end up in a pair of rundowns before the game's final out was recorded on a bang-bang play at the plate.
 
Gossard, Steve Antrim, and Ryan Chang had two hits apiece to pace Carleton. Will Schnepf ended up with a no decision despite leaving with a three-run lead thanks to six strikeouts over 4.0 innings of two-run ball. Corcoran took the loss even after matching his career high with four strikeouts over 1.2 innings.
 
Game 2 Recap
Carleton never trailed, but it was not easy.
 
A bases-loaded walk drawn by Steve Antrim, a sacrifice fly by Iyer, and a Gustavus error gave the Knights a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. The Gusties tallied a two-out run in the bottom of the inning.
 
Ryan Antrim kept the Gusties, who entered the day batting .337 as a team, in check as he did not allow a runner past second base during the second, third, fourth, and fifth frames.
 
The Knights widened their lead in the sixth. Iyer doubled and scored on Andrew Sellers' single to left field. Moments later, Hurtubise raced home on a wild pitch, and the scoreboard read 5-1 in favor of the visitors.
 
Gustavus sliced into the deficit in the bottom of the sixth when a two-out walk was followed by Joe Burns' two-run homer.
 
Ryan Antrim resumed his control of the Gustavus bats as he faced the minimum during the seventh and eighth innings.
 
Sam Chutkow reached on an error to start the top of the ninth, and Gossard smacked his second roundtripper of the day to make the score 7-3. Hurtubise tacked on a sacrifice fly.
 
The Gusties started the bottom of the ninth with a home run by Luke Siegle followed by a single and back-to-back doubles that brought the score to 8-6 with a runner aboard and still no one out. Chang was summoned from the pen, and Gustavus loaded the bases on a single, grounder to the mound, and an intentional walk to Knowles. Schmitz grounded into a fielder's choice that brought home another run, and a walk re-loaded the bases. Chang then notched his first career save when he struck out Siegle to end the game.
 
Chang and Iyer had two-hit games for Carleton. Ryan Antrim's tossed 8.0+ innings as he improved to 1-2 on the season.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton returns home to faced Gustavus in a pair of non-conference games on Friday, May 3. Senior Day festivities will be held around 2:10 p.m. with first pitch slated for 2:30 p.m.