NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College baseball team wrapped up the 2024 campaign by splitting a non-conference series against Gustavus Adolphus College on Senior Day at Mel Taube Field. The Knights (12-23) bounced back from an 11-4 loss to the Gusties (20-16) in Game 1 to take Game 2 by a 4-3 tally.
 
Before the doubleheader the Knights partook in Senior Day festivities as the Knights celebrated Ryan Antrim, Steve Antrim, Kai Oishi, Brayden Stark, Aaron Thorne, and Thomas Wolf.
 
Sam Chutkow's complete game effort in game 2 included a career-best eight strikeouts.
 
"Great performance by Sam Chutkow in Game 2 with the complete game win," said Carleton head coach Alec Holcomb. "I am extremely proud of the growth and play of our team this year.
 
"I can't thank this senior class enough for maintaining and growing the culture of our program. They truly embodied what it means to be a Carleton Knight.
 
"Plus, a huge 'thank you' to all who followed and supported us all spring. Go Knights!"
 
Game 1 Recap
The Gusties got out to quite a start, as they scored multiple runs in each of the first four innings to take a 10-0 lead.
 
Carleton got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ananth Iyer started the rally with an opposite-field single. After a pair of walks, Thorne was hit by a pitch to force home a run. A wild pitch cut the lead to 10-2.
 
The Knights would tack on one more in the fifth thanks when Sam Gossard scored on a sharply hit ball by Stark. The Gusties would add another run in the top of the seventh. Carleton made the final score 11-4 behind an RBI double by Brandon Damelin in the bottom of the frame.
 
Iyer led the Knights with two hits and a walk, as well as scoring a run.
 
Jake Stern started for Carleton, collecting three strikeouts over 1.2 innings but surrendering five runs. Wolf, Oishi, and Thorn also pitched for the Knights on their Senior Day.
 
Game 2 Recap
Chutkow (4-3) allowed three earned runs on six hits and five walks while notching his third complete game of the year.
 
After permitting a run in the top of the second inning, Carleton immediately responded thanks to consecutive singles from Jack Hommeyer, Nathan Barnhart, and Sam Zacks. The RBI single from Zacks tied the game at 1-1 before Barnhart scored on a wild pitch to give the Knights their first lead of the day.
 
A Stark RBI single in the third brought home another run, and his aggressive baserunning helped the Knights extend their advantage to 4-1 when he raced home on a wild pitch and slid in just before the tag by the pitcher covering home.
 
Both team's bats went quite until the top of the seventh, when the Gusties pulled back two runs before Chutkow coaxed a game-ending double play.
 
Hommeyer led the Knights with two hits on the game.