Box Score
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's baseball jumped out to a 5-0 lead and held on for a 6-4 non-conference win over No. 22 St. Scholastica on Sunday, April 23, at Becker Park in Collegeville.
The Johnnies (22-8, 11-3 MIAC), who have now won 13 of their last 14 games, held St. Scholastica's offense off the scoreboard until the eighth inning. The Saints (21-7, 10-0 UMAC) entered the day batting .329 with 110 extra-base hits in 27 games this spring. The loss snapped CSS' 15-game win streak.
Sophomore
Cameron Jurek (Foley, Minn.) earned the win, allowing the four runs on six hits in six innings of relief. He retired the first six batters he faced and cruised to the ninth inning, allowing only a leadoff double to score on a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Jurek ran out of gas in the ninth inning, however, as he started the final frame with two walks and a hit batsman. Junior
Ben Etzell (Greenbank, Wash./Coupeville) came on in relief and allowed a double to the first batter he faced and walked the second. A shallow flyball to right served as the first out before back-to-back groundballs ended the game. The inning's third and final run scored on the first fielder's choice groundball.
Etzell earned the save, his fifth of the season and third this week, because the tying run was on deck when he entered the game.
Freshman
Joey Stock (Cold Spring, Minn./Saint John's Prep) made the start on the mound, the first of his collegiate career, and pitched two hitless, scoreless innings.
Freshman outfielder
Wyatt Ulrich (Indus, Minn./International Falls) extended his hit streak to 21 games with a 4-for-5 performance, his third four-hit game of the season, in the victory. He is now batting .538 (49-for-91) with 30 runs scored and 20 RBI from the leadoff spot this season.
The Johnnies jumped on CSS' Jacob Dzubay for three runs in the third inning. Ulrich started the frame with a leadoff double, advanced to third on a single from sophomore centerfielder
Max Jackson (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) and scored on a sacrifice fly from senior third baseman
Derek Schiebel (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview). Junior first baseman
Jeron Terres (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) followed with an RBI double, moved to third on a balk and scored on a sac fly from sophomore designated hitter
Thomas Meland (Northfield, Minn.).
SJU tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning, thanks to an error and another sac fly from Schiebel. Schiebel registered 13 RBI and six sacrifice flies in the week's seven games.
The Johnnies matched the Saints' single run in the top of the eighth with a bases-loaded walk by Schiebel, his third RBI of the game, in the bottom half.
Terres and junior second baseman
Brennan Swan (Plymouth, Minn./Totino-Grace) recorded 2-for-4 afternoons each.
The Johnnies return to MIAC action with a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader at St. Thomas (18-11, 10-2 MIAC) on Tuesday, April 25, in St. Paul.