The Macalester College baseball team saw its championship dreams curtailed on Thursday night, dropping a 13‑4 decision to third‑seeded UW‑Whitewater in the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at the Whitewater Regional complex.
The Scots had earned their spot in the title game by capturing the MIAC Playoffs, but the defending national champions from Whitewater proved relentless, opening the scoring with a leadoff home run from Aaron Holland.
Whitewater quickly built a lead, as Keli Grennier added a two‑run homer in the third inning and later contributed a three‑run blast in the sixth, while Macalester managed to chip away with three runs in the top of the fifth, highlighted by Niko Alexander’s RBI single and a clutch double from Nathan Gumagay.
Holden Peacock’s two‑out double drove in Gumagay, and Raymond McCaskey followed with a single that plated another run, narrowing the gap to 6‑3 before Whitewater erupted for five runs in the bottom of the sixth, capped by Andy Theis’s solo shot and Grennier’s three‑run homer.
On the mound, Jack Nussbaum surrendered five runs — three earned — on five hits and a walk over three innings, striking out two, while Macalester’s offense finished with twelve hits, including multi‑hit efforts from McCaskey and Josh Planko.
Elimination Game Looms
The Scots now turn their attention to an elimination showdown with Luther College on Saturday, May 16 at 11:00 a.m. at Prucha Field, hoping to keep their season alive and rewrite the narrative before their campaign ends.