Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's jumped out to early leads in both games but settled for a split with Hamline on Thursday, April 28, in Collegeville. The Johnnies (16-9, 10-4 MIAC) scored five runs in the first two innings en route to a 5-2 win in game one, but lost a 3-0 lead by allowing six unearned runs (nine total) in game two's 9-3 loss.
Sophomore first baseman/pitcher Connor Cline (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) smashed his first collegiate home run, a three-run shot, in the first inning of game one. Senior shortstop Matt Butorac (Maple Grove, Minn.) padded the lead with a two-out, two-run single in the second.
Junior Hayden Zimmerman (New Richmond, Wis.) controlled the Pipers for most of the game. Jordan Buck plunked a two-out, two-run double in the fifth for Hamline (17-11, 10-4 MIAC).
Zimmerman improved to 2-3 on the year, allowing both runs on five hits with six strikeouts and four walks. Freshman Joey Long (Belvidere, Ill./Rockford Boylan) tallied a 1-2-3 seventh for his fourth save of the season.
Butorac and sophomore outfielder Alex Powell (Hopkins, Minn.) collected two hits apiece.
SJU manufactured a run in the second and two more in the third, on a total of two hits, in game two. Cline started the second with a walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from senior second baseman/pitcher Brett Kramer (Baxter, Minn./Brainerd) and to third on a wild pitch. He scored on an RBI single from sophomore pitcher Max Forster (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins).
Freshman outfielder Dylan Graves (Mora, Minn.) started the third by reaching via error and advanced to second after Powell walked. Graves was thrown out at third base on a fielder's choice bunt by senior catcher Brian Skluzacek (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori). Powell later scored on an RBI single from Butorac and Forster brought Skluzacek home on a sac fly.
Things began to unravel for SJU in the next half inning. The strike zone shrunk for Forster in the top half of the fourth as the first to Piper batters walked. Andy King reached to load the bases after Forster attempted to throw out the runner at third on his sacrifice bunt attempt. Ben Richardson hit a tailor-made double-play ball to second base, but the ball hit King for the first out of the inning. Dan Ellefson followed with another tailor-made double-play ball, but it hopped over Butorac's glove into left field, scoring two runs. J.D. Modrynski plated another run with a sacrifice fly and Cory Miller brought in another with an RBI single. He was thrown out at second attempting to stretch it into a double. Three of the inning's four runs were unearned.
Hamline increased its lead to 6-3 with a two-out, two-run homer by Modrynski. Graves scaled the wall in left field but the ball hit off his glove and over.
The Pipers ended the scoring with three unearned runs in the seventh.
Forster took the loss, allowing six runs (three earned) on six hits. He walked four and struck out two. Sophomore Scott Schroeder (Richmond, Minn./Rocori) surrendered all three unearned runs in 0.2 innings. Sophomore Adam Wenker (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen) induced a fly ball to end the seventh. The appearance was Wenker's first since suffering a twisted intestine while on the spring break trip in Arizona.
SJU and Hamline have now split each of the last four doubleheaders, all in which the Johnnies won game one.
The Johnnies travel to face Gustavus Adolphus this Saturday, April 30. The doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. in St. Peter.
