The St. Thomas baseball team wrapped up its spring break trip with a 17-2 win over SUNY-Purchase on Thursday in Auburndale, Fla.
The Tommies exploded for eight runs in the first inning and added seven runs in the fifth and two in the sixth, sending 60 men to the plate on the day. Purchase pitchers allowed 18 hits, including five doubles and two triples, walked seven and hit two.
Kris Edwards, a junior from Edina, ran his record to 4-0 in allowing three hits and two runs and striking out five over six innings. Matt Nelson was nearly perfect in three innings of relief, striking out five and giving up one hit.
The Tommies’ first two hitters, Matt McQuillan and Matt Olson, had perfect days at the plate. McQuillan got on base six times, with two doubles, two singles, a walk and a hit-by-pitch, and scored three runs. Olson knocked in four runs with a double and two singles and stole two bases. Tayler Rahm was the third Tommie with multiple hits – three – and had three RBI.
“We were really on top of everything today,” assistant coach Pat Casey said. “The guys wanted the last day here to be a good one. We ended the trip as we started it – with 17 runs (the Tommies defeated Lawrence 17-1 on March 26).”
St. Thomas won all eight NCAA games in Florida to improve its record to 13-1. During the trip, the Tommies outscored their opponents 88-18, outhit them 110-46 and stole 15 bases. St. Thomas pitchers allowed 13 earned runs and the defense had only 11 errors.
UST opens defense of its MIAC title on Saturday with a 1 p.m. home doubleheader against Carleton. St. John’s visits on Wednesday for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader.