Photo courtesy Scott McCreary

Garrett Latoz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to bring in Jake Mucha with the winning run in a 16-15 win in the first game of a doubleheader at Calumet Sunday afternoon.

It capped a comeback that saw St. Ambrose, playing as the home team, rally from deficits of 4-0 and 15-9. The Bees also overcame a three-run deficit in the second game to post a 12-4 victory in the team's regular-season finale.

After SAU tied the game at 15-15 with a three-run sixth inning, Mucha singled to lead off the seventh. He moved to second on an error and advanced to third on a wild pitch with one out. Joey Fitzgerald and Dan Laughery were walked to load the bases before Latoz was hit to plate the winning run.

Latoz finished 3-for-3 with a walk and four RBIs. Brandon Matias had two hits while Noah McCreary, Brock Webber and Bryce Vincent each drove in a pair.

Calumet (21-29, 14-18 CCAC) grabbed a 4-0 lead in the top of the first before St. Ambrose (25-20, 19-13 CCAC) came back with six runs in the bottom of the inning. Latoz had a two-run single to right to put the Bees in front 6-4. Latoz added another run-scoring single in the third. Laughery scored on a balk and McCreary's sacrifice fly scored Jalen Avery to put the Bees in front 9-5 in the third.

But the Crimson Wave came back with consecutive five-run innings in the fourth and fifth to build a 15-9 advantage. SAU took advantage of two errors in the fifth and one more in the sixth, part of seven total errors by CCSJ in the game, to score three runs in each inning. Adrian Zietara had an RBI single in the fifth while Vincent hit a solo home run and Matias singled in a run in the sixth to tie the game at 15-15 setting up the walk-off win an inning later.

Joey Turek, the fifth Bee pitcher of the game, earned the win with one scoreless inning in relief. That followed a two-inning scoreless stint from Aidan Goggins. Justin Lane, Carson Spelman and Alex Heckroth combined to throw the first four innings.

The comeback win in the second game proved less dramatic.

Matias homered twice as part of a three-hit game and drove in six. Cade Meek went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs and Caden Thode were 3-for-3 with four runs scored. Sam Wampler finished with two hits while Ethan McCombs and Jack Day each collected one hit as part of a 13-hit attack.

Thode got the Bees on the board first, scoring on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second inning. After the Crimson Wave went in front 4-1 on the power of two-run home runs in the third and fourth innings, it was all St. Ambrose. 

Meek ripped a two-run homer in the fourth to pull SAU to within a run. Matias had an RBI double as part of a three-run fifth that also saw Meek and Day drive in runs to put the Bees in front 6-4. Matias launched a three-run homer in the sixth before Day's RBI single later in the frame upped the lead to 10-4. Matias blasted a two-run shot in the seventh to account for the final score.

Three St. Ambrose pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts. Frank Quinn started and struck out three over 3 1/3 innings. Nathaniel Johnson picked up the victory by striking out five over 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Grant Baker recorded two strikeouts over the final two scoreless frames.

SAU will now head to postseason play with the CCAC Tournament beginning Thursday.