Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's opened its 2010 MIAC schedule with a sweep of Bethel, 3-1 and 12-2, on Saturday, April 3, in Collegeville.
The Johnnies (9-10, 2-0 MIAC) out-hit the Royals (9-8, 0-2 MIAC) 22-5 on the afternoon and received a pair of fine performances from the starting pitcher.
SJU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in game one thanks to a sacrifice fly from junior shortstop Matt Butorac (Maple Grove, Minn.) and an RBI-double from sophomore Bert Marsnik (Annandale, Minn.). The rest was all senior pitcher Matt Johnson (Eagan, Minn.), who allowed only one hit thru the first five innings.
Bethel added an unearned run in the top of the sixth inning to cut the deficit to 2-1, but SJU added an unearned run of its own in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI-double from senior second baseman Joe Eiden (Maple Grove, Minn./Totino-Grace). Both Eiden and Marsnik collected two hits apiece.
Johnson allowed three hits, one run (unearned), and struck out four in 6.2 innings. Sophomore Hayden Zimmerman (New Richmond, Wis.) recorded the final out to earn the save.
The Johnnies took an early 10-0 lead, thanks to eight runs in the second inning, enroute to the 12-2 victory in game two. Batters one thru four combined to bat 8-for-15 with eight RBI and six runs scored. A two-run single by Butorac followed by a three-run homer from Marsnik, all with two outs, capped the eight-run second.
Zimmerman allowed one run on two hits in five innings of work to improve his record to 4-1 on the season. Freshman Connor Cline (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) pitched a scoreless sixth, before junior Brett Kramer (Baxter, Minn./Brainerd) surrendered a bases-loaded walk in the seventh.
Butorac, Marsnik, junior outfielder Matt Boys (Eden Prairie, Minn./Minnetonka), freshman third baseman Max Forster (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) and senior first baseman Kyle Henkemeyer (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) each had two hits and an RBI or more.
A number of Johnnies recorded fine afternoons. Marsnik ended the day 4-for-6 with four RBI, a double, home run and three runs scored, while both Butorac and Eiden went 3-for-5. Boys and Henkemeyer each went 3-for-6.
SJU is now 21-5 in the MIAC opener since 1998, including an 11-1 record in Collegeville.
The Johnnies return to action Wednesday, April 7, against top-ranked St. Thomas. The doubleheader is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Koch Diamond on the campus of UST in St. Paul.
