The Westminster baseball team put up 24 runs including a grand slam by junior Connor Hager on Sunday in a high scoring 24-15 win over Augsburg College. The Westminster Blue Jays won the three-game series with Augsburg, 2-1, and move to 3-3 on the season.
The Blue Jays put up three runs in the bottom of the second inning, including a solo homerun by junior Tanner Branneky. In the top of the third, Augsburg put up three runs to tie the game at 3-3. In the top of the fourth, they scored five more to jump out to an 8-3 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Blue Jays put up eight runs. Junior Nick Cessna had a two RBI single, junior Nolan Bax had a RBI single, Ta. Branneky had a RBI sacrifice fly, freshman Ryan Klimkiewicz hit a RBI double, and sophomore Adam Mundle hit a three run home run.
Augsburg went back up in the top of the fifth with six runs scored, 14-11. The Blue Jays did not slow down and put up three runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 14-14. Bax scored an unearned run, and sophomore Nick Bohlmann hit a two RBI double to right center field.
Augsburg took a 15-14 lead in the top of the sixth, but the Blue Jays answered with a two RBI double by Bax to take a 16-15 lead. The Blue Jays added another run off a Cessna RBI sacrifice flyout in the seventh inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Blue Jays added nine more runs to the board. Hager started the scoring with a grand slam over the right field fence. Four batters later, Ta. Branneky hit a two RBI double down the left field line, followed by a RBI single from junior Miller Bowles. A groundout ended the inning, but the Blue Jays lead 24-15.
The Blue Jay defense left two stranded on base for Augsburg in the top of the ninth to win the game 24-15.
Mundle scored five of the Blue Jay's 24 runs. The team recorded 19 hits, led by Bohlmann and Bax. Hager finished with five RBI, and Mundle and Ta. Branneky each had four.
Cessna (1-0) was credited as the winning pitcher. He pitched 2.0 innings. Bowles grabbed the save as he pitched the final three innings and allowed no runs.
The Blue Jays host Grinnell College for a doubleheader or Saturday, March 5, starting at 1:00 pm.
