Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's returned to action following a 17-day hiatus with a doubleheader split with Saint Mary's on Wednesday, April 24, in Collegeville.
SJU (10-9, 1-3 MIAC) out-hit the Cardinals 12-5 but needed a walk-off single from sophomore Geno Larkin (Eden Prairie, Minn.) with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to earn a 6-5 win in game one. Saint Mary's (10-9, 1-3 MIAC) put together back-to-back four-run innings en route to an 11-7 win in game two. Six of the 11 runs scored were earned.
The Johnnies answered SMU's 2-0 lead with six consecutive hits, highlighted by senior Max Forster's (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) second home run of the season, and five runs in the bottom of the first in game one.
The Cardinals responded with three runs in the top of the second to tie the game, which remained scoreless until the seventh. With one out, Forster drove a deep fly to center that carried in the wind long enough for the centerfielder to drop it. Forster advanced all the way to third base and scored the game-winning run on Larkin's line drive that bounced past the shortstop.
Senior Ryan Spengler (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) improved to 3-0 with the win. His stat sheet was littered with the number five: five runs on five hits with five strikeouts and five walks in the complete-game effort.
Junior Josh Groth (Fridley, Minn.) went 3-for-4 as the designated hitter, while Forster, Graves and Larkin all added two hits each.
Graves gave SJU a 2-0 lead with a first-inning homer, his second of the season. The visitors cut their deficit to 2-1 in the third before SJU tacked on another run in the bottom half of the inning. Junior Justin Thompson (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) started the inning with a double, advanced to third on a single by senior Alex Powell (Hopkins, Minn.) and scored on a sacrifice fly from Graves. Thompson went 3-for-3 with two doubles and three runs scored from the No. 9 spot in the lineup.
The Cardinals tallied eight runs, four earned, in the fourth and fifth innings. Both innings were fueled by infield/groundball singles, walks and botched double plays in each inning. The Johnnies committed six errors on the day.
Senior Scott Schroeder (Richmond, Minn./Rocori) was saddled with the loss, allowing eight runs (five earned) on six hits in four innings of work. Classmate Adam Wenker (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen) allowed three runs, one earned, on two hits in three innings of relief.
Powell matched Thompson's three hits with a 3-for-4 performance, while Graves went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored.
The Johnnies play host to nationally-ranked St. Thomas for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader Thursday, April 25, in Collegeville.
Notes: SJU totaled six extra-base hits (four doubles, two home runs) on the day…all 13 of SMU's hits were singles…the Cardinals batted .232 on the day but took advantage of the six SJU errors, 11 walks and six wild pitches…junior Luke Larson (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a single in each game Wednesday…game-time temperature for game one was 46 degrees (38 with wind)…41 degrees (33 with wind) in game two.
