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ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. -- The No. 8 New Prague Trojans (9-0) did all the little things to earn a big road win over the No. 6 Benilde-St. Margaret’s Red Knights (7-2) on Tuesday night. The game was closer than the 6-1 final score, but it was evident who was the better team in every facet.

New Prague got off to a great start thanks to a leadoff double by junior second baseman Eric Berg, who’d later score on a sacrifice fly by senior designated hitter McGwire Olson. 

The Red Knights answered in the bottom of the second inning, as freshman pitcher Ford Stoen singled and was pushed around the bases by Colin McGie’s fielder’s choice. He was driven in by junior third baseman Connor Armand’s single.

The turning point for the Red Knights came on the very next at-bat. Sophomore Deandre Mayaka tattooed a ball to deep center field, but the Trojans played it perfectly, forcing Armand to retreat to third, and they tagged Mayaka out as he ran to third. 

The Trojans got off the field on a foul popup by sophomore Rowan Dodge, and what could have been a big inning never was for the Knights.

The Trojans immediately made the Red Knights pay for their mistake on the bases by getting a walk from Berg and a double from senior catcher Jake Lundquist in the top of the third innings. That made it 2-1, which would be all Trojan starter Nick Giesen would need.

“He just did a great job attacking the zone, being able to mix in different pitches,” New Prague head coach Tanner Oakers said. “Jake Lundquist deserves a lot of credit behind the plate, too. He calls a great game. There were literally no passed balls. We can count on him to block every pitch, and that’s a big thing for the pitcher’s confidence, too.”

Giesen let his defense work behind him, scattering six hits and striking out three over the complete game victory. 

The best defensive play came in the sixth inning when a bad hop ate up first baseman Henry Novak. But Berg backed up his teammate and threw to Giesen, who hustled from the mound to first base to record the out. If that wasn’t enough to take the life out of the Red Knights, the Trojan bats made sure there’d be no comeback.

New Prague chased Stoen in the seventh inning before he could record an out. He pitched out of jams in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, getting strikeouts to end the fourth and fifth. 

He just couldn’t do it in the seventh. Senior left fielder Kyle Carlberg singled to leadoff the inning, Lundquist then doubled him in, and Olson singled to make it 4-1. He’d later score after stealing a base, which was another key to New Prague’s success.

The Trojans stole three bags, two of which resulted in runs. Junior Will Seymour ran out a double-play ball to score Olson and make it 6-1 going into the bottom half of the seventh inning, so speed was key even when it came to forcing fielder’s choices.

New Prague’s senior leadership (they have 14 on the roster) and speed was on display at Benilde-St. Margaret’s. Anyone who runs into the Trojans will have their hands full, especially with Giesen on the mound, who was awarded the “DAD” hardhat for being the team’s player of the game.