Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

FT. MYERS, Fla. – No. 29 Saint John's baseball settled for a doubleheader split with Mitchell (Conn.) on Tuesday, March 7, in Fort Myers, Fla.

The Johnnies (6-3 overall) scored the game's final four runs in game one's 7-4 win, but gave up two runs with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning in an 8-7 extra-inning loss to earn the split.

SJU left 23 men on base, 15 in game two alone, and batted .182 (2-for-11) with the bases loaded. All six pitchers used by SJU in the two games were underclassmen.

Junior infielder Brennan Swan (Plymouth, Minn./Totino-Grace) went 5-for-7 with two RBI, three runs scored and a double on the day.

Sophomore Bennett Wiggins (St. Anthony, Minn.) earned his first varsity win in game one, allowing one hit in four innings of scoreless relief. He started the fourth inning by issuing a walk and allowing a double, but avoided trouble thanks to an inning-ending, lineout double play to senior Derek Schiebel (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) at third base.

Sophomore Lance Kilde (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) made his varsity debut and allowed the four runs on two, two-run homers with two outs in the third inning. He struck out three and allowed four hits in the no-decision.

SJU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of game two and held a 6-2 lead after four innings. The Mariners (4-4 overall) tied it at 6-6 with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore Tommy Auger (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) looked to have ended the inning on a foul-tip strikeout, but the umpire called catcher's interference. The next batter smacked a 2-0 pitch over the centerfield fence for a three-run, game-tying homer.

Swan drove in freshman infielder Michael Gruber (Glenwood, Minn./Minnewaska Area) for the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning, but the bottom half of the frame was not as kind.

Mitchell loaded the bases with nobody out thanks to a fielding error and two walks. Freshman Joey Stock (Cold Spring, Minn./Saint John's Prep) relieved freshman Austin Brandecker (South St. Paul, Minn.) and collected two outs before walking the game-tying run in on a full count. He was ahead 0-2 on the next batter, but a breaking ball in the dirt turned into a wild pitch and the game-winning run scored.

Auger allowed six runs, three earned, on seven hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked one in the no-decision.

Sophomore Dominic Schleif (Shakopee, Minn.) struck out one in a scoreless sixth inning. Sophomore Thomas Meland (Northfield, Minn.) matched Swan's 3-for-5 performance at the plate in game two.

SJU faces Elms (Mass.), a 32-13 team last season, for a 9 a.m. EST doubleheader on Wednesday, March 8, at the Lee County Player Development Complex.