MANKATO, Minn. – Behind an 11-strikeout performance from senior starter Logan Birr (St. Cloud), the St. Cloud State University Huskies beat Augustana College 6-4 in the first round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Baseball Tournament Wednesday afternoon at Franklin Rodgers Park.
Birr (10-0) set a single-season school record with his 10th win of the year to help the Huskies (43-10) tie a school record for wins in a season, which was set a season ago.
SCSU also continued their school-record winning streak (18) in a NSIC showcase of two of the top pitchers in the conference.
The Husky offense got things going early off of NSIC Pitcher of the Year Derek Hansen with three runs on four hits in the first inning before ultimately beating the Vikings (30-20) for the sixth time this season.
St. Cloud State had everything working early as Birr struck out the side in the top of the first before leadoff Phil Imholte (St. Cloud) set the table for the Huskies offensively with a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first. Sophomore Garrett Fischer (New Ulm) then made it nine straight games with a hit as he singled to move Imholte to third. Senior Joey Benke (Roseau) then drove Imholte in with a ground ball to the left side and was followed with a walk and a RBI single from junior Sean Borman (Minnetonka). Junior Travis Cariveau (Sauk Rapids) drove in the final run of the inning with a single to make it a quick 3-0.
Cariveau kept things going for SCSU later with a shot over the left field fence to make it 4-0 in favor of the Huskies for his fourth round-tripper of the season.
Augie then got in the scoring column in the third as David Borchardt broke up a no-hitter with a home run of his own to make it 4-1 before Augie had two RBI hits to make it 4-3 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
Sophomore Garrett Fischer (New Ulm) answered with a hit and stole second in the bottom of the fourth. He then stole third and the throw down went into left field which allowed Fischer to score and make it 5-3.
The Huskies also added an insurance run in the seventh before sophomore Kyle Fischer (New Ulm) came and finished up the game to earn his second save of the season.
Borchardt hit his second home run of the game in the ninth to cut the lead to two runs, but Fischer was able to get a strikeout and ground out to end the game.
The Husky pitching staff had 14 total strikeouts in the game including Birr's final out, which was a 13-pitch swinging strikeout with the bases loaded to close out the sixth.
Birr gave up three runs on six hits, while walking four of 24 batters faced in six innings as he won the battle over Hansen who gave up six runs (four earned) on 11 hits in seven innings of work. Hansen also had three walks and six strikeouts.
St. Cloud State will now play the winner of game two of the tournament between No. 3 Wayne State and No. 3 Winona State at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow night.