Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Post-Game Interviews:
-Cline, Forster & Haugen (1:38)
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's improved its chances for a MIAC-Tournament bid with a pair of walk-off wins over Augsburg on Monday, May 6, in Collegeville.
After Augsburg gained a 7-6 lead in the top of the ninth of game one, senior Max Forster (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) drilled a 3-2 pitch over the left-field fence, his second home run of the day. The Johnnies then loaded the bases before junior Dylan Graves (Mora, Minn.) drove a single over the right fielder's head for the game-winning run, 8-7.
The Johnnies (17-14, 8-8 MIAC) responded from an early 2-0 deficit in game two with two runs in the fifth before senior Connor Cline (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) smoked the first pitch he saw for a walkoff homer, with two outs, for the 3-2 win.
SJU built a 2-0 lead through two innings in game one on an RBI single from junior Luke Larson (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) in the first and a solo shot from Forster in the second.
Augsburg (19-12, 7-7 MIAC) tied it at 2-2 in the third and gained a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth before SJU swung the lead back in its favor with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Senior Joey Long (Belvidere, Ill./Rockford Boylan) started the inning with a single and advanced to third on a failed pickoff throw. He scored on a groundout by junior Justin Thompson (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska). Forster followed with a single and sophomore Aaron Pfaff (New Ulm, Minn./Cathedral) walked with two outs before Cline laced a two-run double to the gap in left-center.
The Auggies posted three runs on three hits in the sixth. Long relieved Cline, who made his eighth start of the season on two-day's rest, with the bases loaded and nobody out. He induced a run-producing double play before striking out Adam Carl looking to end the inning.
Sophomore Brett Becker (North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) tied the game with a sac fly in the bottom half of the inning. Thompson was hit by a pitch to start the inning and advanced to third, like Long two innings prior, by a failed pickoff throw that went wide of the bag into the visitor's bullpen.
With two outs and a runner on second in the top of the seventh, Augsburg's Zach Pavlisick singled to left but Pfaff gunned down Lou LaChapelle at the plate to end the inning.
Cline allowed six runs on 12 hits in five innings. Long allowed two hits with one strikeout in two innings before Forster came in to earn the win. He allowed one run on three hits with four strikeouts in two innings.
Graves went 3-for-5, while Forster went 3-for-4 with the two home runs and three runs scored, as well as the pitching victory.
Forster went back out to the hill for game two, but Gordon Kappers' two-run homer gave the visitors an early 2-0 lead in the first. Unlike the 17-hit barrage in game one, however, the Auggies were held to five hits in game two and only one baserunner made it to second base safely after the first inning.
Forster started his own rally with an infield single in the fifth and came around to score on Pfaff's one-out triple. Cline brought him in on a single in the next at-bat to tie the game at 2-2.
Thompson earned the win, allowing only one hit with three strikeouts (one walk) in 3.1 innings of relief. Forster allowed two runs on four hits in 3.2 innings.
Cline led the SJU attack with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, including the game-winning home run. Each Johnnie in the lineup but one tallied a hit.
The Johnnies play host to Carleton for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader on Tuesday, May 7, in Collegeville.
Notes: The doubleheader sweep was the first for SJU over the Auggies in Collegeville since April 27, 1999 (11-1 and 9-2)…SJU also tallied a walk-off win, 1-0 in nine innings over Gustavus Adolphus May 5…Augsburg lost a pair of eight-inning games, 7-5 and 2-0, to Saint Mary's at St. Thomas May 5.
