Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
ST. PETER, Minn. – Saint John's split its second consecutive road doubleheader on Sunday, April 29, at Gustavus Adolphus.
The Johnnies (23-11, 11-5 MIAC) held the Gusties to three hits in game one's 2-0 shutout before dropping game two, 3-1. SJU left 18 men on base, 11 in game two alone, and batted only .105 (2-for-19) with runners in scoring position on the day.
Sophomore Justin Thompson (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) brought in both of game one's runs with a double in the second inning. Junior southpaw Ryan Spengler (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) took care of the rest, allowing three hits in six innings to improve to 5-2 on the season. He struck out eight and walked five to lower his ERA and opponent batting average to 1.31 and .144, respectively, in 41.1 innings. Junior Joey Long (Belvidere, Ill./Rockford Boylan) tallied a 1-2-3 seventh to earn his seventh save of the season.
Sophomore Dylan Graves (Mora, Minn.) was 2-for-2 with three stolen bases to lead the Johnnies' struggling bats. SJU mustered only two hits after the two-run second inning.
The Gusties (13-16, 6-10 MIAC) jumped out to an early lead with two runs, one earned and one unearned, off junior Connor Cline (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) in the first inning of game two. SJU cut its deficit to 2-1 with an unearned run of its own on an RBI double from Cline in the third.
GAC ended the scoring with a run, following a leadoff double, in the third. Cline took the loss, allowing the three runs (two earned) on five hits with two strikeouts. Senior Hayden Zimmerman (New Richmond, Wis.) allowed two hits in three scoreless innings of relief to lower his ERA to 1.89 in 57 innings pitched this season.
Cline ended the game 3-for-4, while Graves went 2-for-3. Both tallied a double each. Cline is now batting .434 (23-for-53) with 12 RBI in conference play.
The Johnnies deviate from conference play with a 5:30 p.m., nine-inning game against NCAA Division II St. Cloud State on Monday, April 30, at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud. SJU returns to MIAC competition versus Macalester on Wednesday, May 2, in Collegeville.
Notes: SJU held the Gusties to a .222 (10-for-45) batting average on the day…GAC entered the doubleheader leading the MIAC with a .329 batting average in 14 conference games…the Johnnies have now won the first game in seven of its eight MIAC doubleheaders this season...SJU ended the day with a two-game lead for second place over Concordia, and a three-game lead over four teams (Augsburg, Bethel, Macalester, Saint Mary's)…the Cobbers face league-leading St. Thomas (28-4, 16-0 MIAC) on Monday, April 30, in Moorhead.
