V-Hawks Keep Saints Winless

LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Viterbo University Baseball team captured a pair of North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) wins on Saturday afternoon as they defeated Presentation College (SD), 17-1 and 6-4. The V-Hawks improve to 11-27 (8-14 NSAA) while to Saints drop to 0-36 (0-22 NSAA).

Game 1 started slow, with no baserunners through the first two innings, until the V-Hawks exploded in the bottom of the third. Kendal Hofer's RBI-single brought in Chad Herrera to get Viterbo on the board, followed by a two-RBI-single for Blake Warner, scoring Hofer and Marcus Hornacek. After another hit and an error to load the bases, Gavin Daniel was hit by a pitch to earn an RBI that brought Warner home, then Conley O'Keefe hit a single through the left side, scoring Carson Trumpold and Spencer Hans. Herrera, batting for the second time in the inning, earned an RBI to score Daniel, then Hofer was walked and O'Keefe came home. Warner earned RBI three and four of the inning with a single up the middle, bringing the V-Hawks total to 10 runs on six hits in the inning. VU would nearly match the total in the following inning, as Hunter Hess, Hornacek, Warner, and Hans each had hits that batted in runners, Hess had two, while Daniel was walked to earn an RBI and O'Keefe scored on a pass ball to leave the score at 17-0. Presentation would break the shutout with an RBI single in the top of the sixth, but that would be the final run of the game.

Warner went 3-for-4 with 5 RBIs to lead the V-Hawks offense, while Daniel went 2-for-2, scored two runs, earned two RBIs and was walked twice. Evyn Booth had a hit and an RBI for the Saints. Cale Beckman (2-2) earned the win with 12 strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Alex Tallman recorded the loss.

Viterbo would get on the board first again in the second game, with a Frankie McGuire RBI double in the bottom of the second, and added two more in the bottom of the third with a Daniel two-RBI-double. PC evened the score in the top of the fourth with a two-run homerun and an RBI single. They would then take their first lead of the day in the fifth on an RBI double. Viterbo would rally to score three runs in the bottom of the sixth, in a seven inning game, an a McGuire RBI bunt, and a Hofer two-RBI single.

McGuire led the V-Hawks offense with two RBIs on 2-of-3 batting, while Daniel added two on .500 hitting. Wolf'Don Thorson had two RBIs on hit lone hit. Adam Olson (W, 2-0) struck out two batters. Peyton Rees was the losing pitcher.

The series continues on Sunday, April 23 at 12:00.