Macalester wins MIAC, reaches Division III baseball tournament

Macalester earned its first berth in the NCAA Division III baseball tournament with a 13-5 victory over top-seeded Bethel on Saturday in the MIAC championship game in Collegeville, Minn.

The Scots (26-15) join the 1950 and 2011 teams, who won regular-season championships, as MIAC champions.

It was 1-1 before the Scots exploded for nine runs on eight hits — with four Bethel errors — in the top of the second for a commanding 10-1 lead. Collin Brantner struck the big blow with a three-run homer and Quentin Stuart added a two-run shot. The Scots racked up 19 hits.

Top-seeded Minnesota State Mankato defeated No. 3 seed St. Cloud State 4-2 to claim its fifth conference championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. National tournament pairings will be announced Sunday.

The Gophers baseball team beat 10th-ranked Long Beach State 12-6 at Siebert Field for its second 30-win season in as many years. It was 3-3 when the Gophers broke the game open with nine runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Madeline Strandemo's steeplechase victory in a school-record 9:51.83 boosted the Gophers into the second-day lead with 45.5 points at the Big Ten outdoor track and field championships at Penn State. Michigan is a half-point behind.

• Obsa Ali placed second in the steeplechase and decathlete Luca Weiland took third in the long jump, highlighting the Gophers men's second-day performances.

Sammy Schmitz followed an opening round 3-under 69 with a second-round 68, giving him a four-shot lead heading into the final day of the Minnesota Golf Champions at Dellwood Country Club.

The 18-hole leader and defending champion, Ryan Helminen, fell off the pace when he carded two bogets and a double-bogey on the first seven holes.

Cori Kennedy's RBI single in the sixth was the difference as sixth-ranked Minnesota State Mankato defeated Augustana 4-3, winning the NCAA Region 2 softball championship. MSU (57-6) advances to the NCAA super regional, May-18-19.

• Winona State overcame a three-run deficit and beat Southern Arkansas 4-3 in a Division II softball regional in Searcy, Ark. The Warriors, with their school-record 51st victory, will play Harding for the championship Sunday; Winona State needs to win twice.

• St. Catherine won two elimination games in its Division III softball regional, 7-0 over St. Scholastica and 5-2 over the University of Chicago in Decorah, Iowa. It will face Luther in Sunday's championship … St. Thomas reached the championship of its regional unbeaten and will face Coe for the championship on Sunday.