GLENDALE, Wis. – The MSOE baseball team celebrated Opening Day for the 2025 season as they welcomed the Pioneers of Carroll University to Raiders Stadium. The Red and White would sweep the Pioneers, closing out the sweep with a run-rule walk-off in Game 2.
RESULTS
MSOE RAIDERS – 7
Carroll – 5
MSOE RAIDERS – 12
Carroll - 2
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Game One
- Carroll (3-3) put a damper in the Opening Day celebrations early, leading 4-0 by the middle of the fourth inning after the Pioneers capitalized on four walks and two errors by MSOE (2-0, 0-0 NACC). The Raiders didn't back down as Kyle Mayberry scored the first run of the season in the bottom of the fourth on a Jake Franks single up the middle. The momentum would turn to the Raiders in the fifth inning as Kellen Pate entered the game to pitch, as the Northwestern transfer made quick work of the Pioneers despite hitting one of them with a pitch. In the bottom of the inning, three straight singles from Jack Shepski, Jordan Skolmar and Charlie Claas set the table for senior Jack Kalitowski with no outs and the bases loaded. Kalitowski would slap a double down the right field line, bringing two runs across before a sac bunt from Christian Bosque brought Claas across, tying the game up at 4-4. After Mayberry was hit by a pitch, the Raiders put the squeeze on, with Kalitowski stealing home as Mayberry was caught in a rundown to take the 5-4 lead.
- With the Raiders up one in the bottom of the sixth, AJ Le drew a walk before advancing all the way to third on a failed pickoff attempt. Le would score insurance run on a pass ball just one pitch later, as MSOE took a 6-4 lead. Shepski would walk and steal second base, with another base knock from Claas bringing him around to give the Raiders a little more insurance at 7-4. Pate would continue to mow down the Pioneers, and despite getting in a late jam, he forced a fly out to left field as the Raiders took Game 1 by a score of 7-5.
- Game Two
- It was the Raiders who jumped out to an early lead in the second game, as Camden Hoier tripled to right field, bringing Bosque and Kalitowski around for the early 2-0 lead. Le would drop down a sac bunt with Hoier at third, as MSOE extended their lead to 3-0 at the end of the first inning. The Pioneers would answer right back with two runs of their own in the top of the second but the Red and White never faltered, bringing four runs around in the second inning as the Raiders aggression on the basepaths had the Pioneers rattled.
- After entering in relief during the second inning, Elias Lopez was shutdown in 4 innings of work for the Raiders, allowing no runs across and striking out three. Up 8-2 in the seventh inning with a chance to walk it off, Skolmar would come across on a sacrifice from Claas. With Kalitowski and Bosque on base, and Mayberry up at the plate, the Raiders would successfully execute a double steal to get in scoring position. Mayberry would get just enough on a ball to right field, allowing Kalitowski to tag-up, and the very next pitch from the Pioneers would be wild, as Bosque scampered across home plate. The Raiders would seal up the Opening Day sweep on the walk-off, run-rule, wild pitch as Head Coach Adrian Santiago's first games at the helm were ones to remember.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
WHO'S ON DECK
The Raiders will host the Pioneers of UW-Platteville for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 8th. First pitch is set for 12:00 PM with game two to follow.
For up-to-the-minute MSOE Raiders news, visit us at www.go-raiders.com. You can also follow the Red & White on Twitter @MSOE_Raiders and @msoe_raiders on Instagram.
