Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | Photos (Michael Hemmelgarn)
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Saint John's started its 2012 baseball season with a split against NAIA Valley City State (N.D.) on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at the Metrodome. The Johnnies posted a 2-0 shutout in game one before dropping the second by a slim 2-1 margin.
Senior Hayden Zimmerman (New Richmond, Wis.) and juniors Adam Wenker (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen) and Joey Long (Belvidere, Ill./Rockford Boylan) combined to pitch the seven-inning shutout. Zimmerman scattered a pair of hits and struck out three in four innings of work to earn the win. Wenker, meanwhile allowed a pair of hits in two innings of relief and Long shut down the Vikings (1-3 overall) with two K's in the seventh to earn the save.
Sophomore Luke Larson (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) tallied a pair of RBI in his SJU debut, including an RBI-single to plate an unearned run in the third inning. Junior Max Forster (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) started the fourth with a leadoff triple and scored on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Dylan Graves (Mora, Minn.). Both teams amassed four hits apiece in game one.
Larson gave SJU an early 1-0 lead with another RBI-single in the third inning of game two. Junior Ryan Spengler (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) started the game and allowed two hits in three scoreless innings. Valley City State tied the game on a wild pitch from junior Connor Cline (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) in the fourth inning and tallied what proved to be the game-winning run, again with two outs, in the fifth. Junior Charlie Perrine (Edina, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) sparked SJU's offense with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, including a double.
The Johnnies left the bases loaded once in each game and were 2-or-10 with runners in scoring position on the afternoon.
SJU returns to the Metrodome with a 9:45 p.m. doubleheader against nationally-ranked Buena Vista (Iowa) this Sunday, Feb. 26. The Beavers advanced to the 2011 Division III College World Series and finished the year with a 34-18 record. BVU was ranked eighth in the 2012 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) preseason poll released in December.
