TUCSON, Ariz. – The St. Olaf College baseball team fell to Aurora University, 16-9, in the first game of a doubleheader, but came back and downed the Spartans, 7-5, in the second game in a season-opening non-conference twin bill on Friday afternoon.

Aurora (6-1) scored nine runs off six hits in the fourth inning of the first game and recorded 15 hits, while St. Olaf (1-1) committed five errors, as the Spartans claimed the victory. The Oles totaled nine hits in the second game, including two three-run innings, and took a 6-3 lead in the sixth inning to secure the victory.

Aurora 16, St. Olaf 9 | Box Score

St. Olaf recorded 11 hits in its season opener, including three from Sam Pressman, along with two hits apiece from junior Tommy McDonald, senior Dylan Blake and senior Luke Dahl.  Dahl and Pressman added three RBI each for the Oles and Blake had two. Junior Hanson Devine pitched three innings and recorded the loss, and junior Luke Feigel tallied two innings from the mound, while senior Thomas Peterson and junior Ben Arndt each pitched one.

Aurora broke the deadlock in the third inning with a three-run homer from AJ Gill and extended the lead to six after a Spartans' double.  St. Olaf answered in the bottom of the third after Pressman doubled and sent McDonald home. Another double from Dahl sent two runners home and cut the deficit to two runs.

The Spartans registered four hits in the fourth inning, starting with a double from Paul Dobravec that scored two runs. Aurora extended the lead to nine after an Ole error. A triple from Blake in the bottom of the fourth tallied two RBI as McDonald and TJ Rogers scored, followed by a single from Pressman that sent Blake home.

The Oles and the Spartans each scored in the sixth, as Aurora took the opener.

St. Olaf 7, Aurora 5 | Box Score

Pressman and Blake led the Oles with two hits apiece, while junior Ryan Torbenson picked up two RBI and two runs off one hit. Sophomore Hunter Barber picked up his first win of the season on the mound and junior Elliot Syverson tallied the save.

After the Spartans opened the second game with a run in the first inning, St. Olaf took the lead in the second, scoring three runs.  A triple from Dahl plated senior Jake Ossell followed by an error by Aurora that allowed Dahl to score and give the Oles the lead at 2-1. A sacrifice fly from Pressman extended the Oles' lead to three in the second inning.

Aurora scored twice in the third inning to even the score, but a three-run sixth inning from St. Olaf gave the Oles the advantage for good. Torbenson recorded a two-run triple that sent Rogers and Dahl in before Torbenson posted a run on a wild pitch.

Despite the Spartans scoring two runs in the seventh, St. Olaf was able to hold Aurora off in the final inning to secure the victory.

The Oles return to action on Saturday, Mar. 9, with the first game against Carthage College beginning at 4 p.m. CT and the second game of the day against Northwestern College (Iowa) starting at 7:30 p.m. CT.