Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's settled for a doubleheader split with Bethel on Saturday, April 14, in Collegeville. The Johnnies battled for a 4-3 win in nine innings to take game one, but fell by a 4-1 decision in the nightcap.

Bethel (15-10, 6-4 MIAC) took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs, one earned, off junior Ryan Spengler (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) in the top of the third inning. Junior Connor Cline (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) tied the game with a two-run double, the third consecutive hit of the inning, in the bottom half for SJU (17-9, 5-3 MIAC).

The Royals gained a 3-2 lead with a single run off junior Joey Long (Belvidere, Ill./Rockford Boylan) in the top of the ninth. Following a flyout from sophomore Dylan Graves (Mora, Minn.) to start the inning, classmate Tom Druk (Plymouth, Minn./Orono) reached on a throwing error from the shortstop. His pinch runner, senior Brace Hemmelgarn (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) was thrown out at second on a fielder's choice from freshman Billy Gregg (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) in the very next at bat. Freshman Aaron Pfaff (New Ulm, Minn./Cathedral) singled through the right side, his third hit of the game, and advanced to second on the throw behind Gregg at third.

BU's Buddy Flaherty, the reigning MIAC Pitcher of the Week, intentionally walked Cline, the reigning MIAC Player of the Week, to load the bases. Sophomore Luke Larson (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) walked to plate the game-tying run and junior Max Forster (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) did the same, on a high 3-2 pitch, to bring in the game-winning run. Both runs were unearned.

Spengler allowed two runs, one earned, on just two hits. He walked five, however, and struck out two in the no-decision. Junior Scott Schroeder (Richmond, Minn./Rocori) threw three innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits with three K's. Long earned the win, allowing one run on two hits in the ninth.

Junior Adam Wenker (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen) cruised through 4.2 innings, allowing three hits with three strikeouts, until three consecutive two-out singles gave Bethel a 3-0 lead in game two.

SJU cut the deficit to 3-1 with a two-out RBI single from Larson in the bottom of the fifth inning before BU added an unearned run in the top of the seventh.

Wenker fell to 3-1, allowing three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. The unearned run was credited to freshman Collin Felhaber (North St. Paul, Minn.), who allowed two hits in an inning of relief. Sophomore Justin Thompson (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) took over for Felhaber in the seventh, with no outs and runners on second and third. The run came in on a passed ball before Thompson induced a lineout to second. Gregg caught Matt Rowley in an attempt to steal home and Thompson struck out the Royal in the same at bat, to end the inning.

Rowley went 3-for-4 with a double at the plate, and allowed the lone run on six hits with three strikeouts to improve to 5-3 on the mound.

Pfaff ended the day 4-for-7 and scored three of the Johnnies' five runs from the No. 9 spot in the lineup.

The Johnnies were 3-for-16 (.188) with two outs and only four leadoff batters reached on the afternoon. SJU had runners on first and second with one out in the fourth, but Druk's hard liner turned into an unassisted double play by the first baseman. The home team had runners at the corners with no outs in the bottom of the seventh, but Rowley tallied a strikeout, foul out and flyout to end the game. The foul out was the third for the Johnnies in the game, and the deep flyout to centerfield was the third for Cline.

SJU plays host to Hamline (11-16, 2-6 MIAC) for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader this Wednesday, April 18.