Box Score

FT. MYERS, Fla. – No. 29 Saint John's baseball opened its spring-break trip with a narrow 6-5 loss to Lakeland (Wis.) on Sunday, March 5, in Fort Myers, Fla.

The Johnnies (3-2 overall) batted 2-for-13 (.154) with runners in scoring position and struck out 11 times, including seven looking, in the loss.

SJU gained an early 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly from freshman infielder Jack Schramel (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) in the first inning.

The Muskies (3-0 overall) answered, however, with four runs on five hits in the bottom of the third inning.

The Johnnies gained a 5-4 lead with four unearned runs with two outs, including a bases-clearing single off the bat of junior infielder Jeron Terres (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori), in the top of the seventh inning. Schramel brought in Terres with a triple in the next at-bat.

Unearned runs proved to be the deciding factor as Lakeland plated two of its own in the bottom half of the seventh.

Five of the Muskies' nine hits on the night came with runners in scoring position (5-for-7).

Junior Nick Noack (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Westlake), fresh off his seven-inning no-hitter against No. 3 Wisconsin-La Crosse Feb. 26, made the start and allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked two.

Sophomore Cameron Jurek (Foley, Minn.) was saddled with the loss, allowing the two unearned runs on two hits in two innings of relief. Junior Ben Etzell (Greenbank, Wash./Coupeville) struck out two in a scoreless eighth inning.

Terres led SJU's cause at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance and the three RBI. Senior outfielder Blake Langerud (Faribault, Minn./Bethlehem Academy) and sophomore outfielder Max Jackson (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) added two hits apiece.

The Johnnies face Pitt-Bradford (Pa.) for a noon EST doubleheader on Monday, March 6, at the Lee County Player Development Complex, the former spring-training home of the Boston Red Sox.