PASADENA, Calif. – Caltech Baseball picked up two significant victories it its three games played across Friday and Saturday, with the Beavers topping the University of Minnesota Morris, 8-4, before nabbing a 5-3 win over Macalester College on Saturday.  

The squad scored a remarkable 18 runs though narrowly fell in the second of the three contests.  

Friday vs. Minnesota-Morris

Action opened on Friday afternoon against the UM-Morris Cougars as first-year RHP Joseph Pieper (Palatine, Ill. / Palatine) took the mound, letting up no runs in the first frame with two strikeouts. 

Caltech immediately went to work their first time at the plate as first-year left fielder Kailen Hargenrader (Bethesda, Md. / The Maret School) led off with a single to centerfield before advancing to second on a walk. The freshman stole third base before senior designated hitter Leo Jenkins (New York, N.Y. / Beacon) sent him home on a ball sent towards first base. 

Minnesota-Morris came up with a run of their own in the top of the second, though Caltech soon responded with a massive six-run outing in the third inning. 

A solo home run from junior second baseman Garrett Knuf (Laguna Niguel, Calif. / Dana Hills) gave the Beavers their second run of the game before junior centerfielder Jack Fishel (Baltimore, Md. / Boys' Latin School of Maryland) rocketed a massive ground-rule double on the next at-bat. A well-timed single to left center from junior first baseman Cameron McNamee (Great Falls, Mont. / Great Falls) scored Fishel to make it a 3-1 game; sophomore third baseman Mark Hu (San Jose, Calif. / The Harker School) connected for a single to center field to score Jenkins, who reached on a hit-by-pitch. A passed ball scored Hu before a single up the middle from junior Edward Speer (Austin, Texas / Leander) brought home two more, making it a 7-1 score.  

The Beavers added their eighth run in the fifth inning as Knuf singled to right center, scoring shortstop Brendan Flaherty (Narragansett, RI / Lake Forest Academy), who walked before stealing second base. 

Pieper kept up his excellent performance on the mound before retiring after six innings, letting up just one run with seven strikeouts in 20 at-bats thrown. The rookie picked up the win as the Beavers picked up the 8-4 victory. 

Saturday Morning vs. Minnesota-Morris

The two teams returned to action on Saturday at 11 a.m. for what turned into a marathon-long contest. It was a story of offense as Caltech scored at least one run and 18 total through the first six innings. 

Highlighting the action was the strong bat of Knuf, who connected for three hits and five RBIs, scoring twice. The Laguna Niguel, California native homered for the second time in two games to score two runs and put the Beavers up 11-9. 

The team's strongest offensive showing came in the sixth inning as Caltech nabbed seven runs; senior third baseman Gautam Chawla (Princeton, N.J. / Princeton) registered an RBI single before Hargenrader picked up an RBI walk. In the next at-bat, Knuf connected with the bases loaded and another pair of Caltech runners crossed the plate. McNamee followed with a sac fly to centerfield to drive home Hargenrader for the Beavers' 18th run.

By the time the final out was recorded, three hours and 55 minutes had elapsed since the first pitch, and every batter in the Caltech starting lineup had scored at least one run.

Saturday Afternoon vs. Macalester

Albeit 85 minutes later than originally planned, Macalester College played its second game of the 2024 season after defeating Minnesota-Morris on Friday morning as both teams opened their 2024 regular seasons at Caltech's North Field. While the Macalester Scots prevailed in their first game, Caltech rebounded from the morning defeat and worked quickly and cleanly on defense, needing just over two hours to record 27 outs without committing any errors.

Flaherty pitched a spectacular complete game, allowing just three earned runs on seven hits, one base on balls and one hit batsman, retiring 14 batters by strikeout.

After the Scots drew first blood with a solo homer in the top of the first inning, the Beavers replied with three runs in the second inning. Junior Thorsen Kristufek (McKinney, Texas / McKinney) reached on a fielder's choice that saw Macalester's first baseman instead throw toward second base to attempt a double play, but his wild throw allowed Hu to reach safely and McNamee to even the score at 1-1. A two-out single by Hargenrader then drove home Kristufek and Hu to make it a 3-1 game.

Macalester equalized in the top of the fifth, but the Beavers immediately answered as Hu drove home Fishel on another fielder's choice play, and an extra-base blast by Fishel in the sixth drove home an insurance run in sophomore Austin Wang (Palo Alto, Calif. / The Harker School).

Head Coach Kevin Whitehead and the Beavers will open SCIAC play next weekend against local rival Occidental College, beginning at home on Friday, Mar.1 at 2 p.m.