Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Saint John's dropped a pair of pitching duels, 4-1 and 2-1, to Hamline on Saturday, April 27, in St. Paul.

SJU out-hit the Pipers 10-8 on the day but was only 3-for-17 (.176) with men on base and 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Sophomore Aaron Pfaff (New Ulm, Minn./Cathedral) snapped a 0-for-11 stretch at the plate by tallying five of the Johnnies' 10 hits (5-for-6) and scoring both runs on the day. He started the third inning of game one with his second hit of the game, advanced to third on a single from classmate Brett Becker (North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) and scored on a double-play ball to give SJU (10-13, 1-7 MIAC) a 1-0 lead.

Hamline (15-7, 2-4 MIAC) answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the third and added two more on a two-run, two-out single from Harley Thompson in the sixth.

Senior Max Forster (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) took the loss, allowing the four runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked three in what was his first pitching start since May 5, 2011.

SJU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in game two. Pfaff and freshman Logan Hershey (Maple Grove, Minn.) both singled to start the contest before a groundball double-play brought in the Johnnies' leadoff hitter. Both of SJU's runs on the day were scored on double plays.

The Pipers tallied what proved to be the game-winning runs on a two-out, two-run single off the bat of Cam Smith in the bottom of the fourth. Smith entered the day batting .139 (5-for-36) on the year.

Senior Connor Cline (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) suffered the loss in his first start since injuring his throwing hand April 7. He allowed the two runs on only three hits with five walks and five strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Senior Joey Long (Belvidere, Ill./Rockford Boylan) relieved Cline with the bases loaded in the sixth and recorded the final two outs unscathed.

HU was only 2-for-13 (.154) at the plate with two outs. The two hits, however, brought in four of the team's six runs on the afternoon.

The Johnnies return to the Twin Cities for a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Bethel on Sunday, April 28, at Hargis Park in Arden Hills.