Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's recorded its third consecutive conference split on Monday, April 21, against Concordia-Moorhead in Collegeville.

SJU (15-6, 7-5 MIAC) broke a 2-2 tie with three runs on six hits in the bottom of the seventh inning of game one's 5-2 win, but left 15 men on base and batted .222 with both runners on base (6-for-27) and runners in scoring position (4-for-18) in game two's 11-3 loss. Although the score was lopsided, Concordia (13-12, 5-7 MIAC) only out-hit the Johnnies 13-12.

The Cobbers tallied a pair of unearned runs to gain an early lead in game one. Senior catcher and closer Justin Thompson (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) doubled to start the third and scored on a double-play ball to cut SJU's deficit in half. Senior outfielder Dylan Graves (Mora, Minn.) tied the game at 2-2 with an opposite-field homer, his first of the season and 12th of his collegiate career, to start the fourth.

Graves started the sixth with an infield single, advanced to second on a hit from classmate Tom Druk (Plymouth, Minn./Orono) and scored on a hit up the middle from another senior, Joe Lampe (Osceola, Iowa/Clarke). The Johnnies added two more runs on three straight hits from senior third baseman Luke Larson (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson), Thompson and junior second baseman Brett Becker (North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View).

Sophomore Patrick Strey (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) improved to 3-1 on the year, allowing the two unearned runs on three hits with two strikeouts in six innings of work. Thompson pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to record his seventh save of the season.

Becker, Graves, Thompson and senior first baseman Tony Gazich (Arden Hills, Minn./Mounds View) all had two hits each in game one.

Becker gave SJU a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the second inning, but CC scored the next five runs. The Cobbers hit back-to-back, wind-aided home runs off freshman Derek Graves (Mora, Minn.) with two outs in the third inning to post a 2-1 lead. Both were flyballs to right field that were caught up in the constant 18-20 MPH wind and carried just over the fence.

The visitors added three unearned runs in the fourth and four more, after the first six batters reached, in the sixth. Druk singled to start the bottom half of the sixth and scored on a triple by Lampe, who scored on another RBI single from Becker. The Cobbers ended the scoring with two runs in the seventh.

Derek Graves suffered the loss, his first of the season (3-1), allowing five runs (two earned) on six hits in 3.2 innings. He struck out three and walked three. Seven SJU pitchers combined to walk 10 batters in game two.

Becker (4-for-6, three RBI) and Druk (4-for-7) combined to go 8-for-13 at the plate on the day.

SJU batted .348 on the day, to Concordia's .242 average, and committed six errors. The .348 average included a 1-for-8 showing with a runner on third base and less than two outs in game two alone.

The Johnnies visit Macalester for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader on Tuesday, April 22, at Nicholson Field in St. Paul.