Box Score

COLD SPRING, Minn. - Saint John's baseball ended its 2017 season with a 2-1 loss to Bethel on Friday, May 12, at Cold Spring Baseball Park.

The one-run loss was the second of the tournament for SJU (25-13 overall) and seventh of the season.

SJU out-hit the Royals 9-5, left nine men on base and batted 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position (0-for-13 in the two games). 

Both runs scored by the Royals (32-9 overall) were unearned and came with two outs. 

BU gained a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but SJU tied it in the bottom half. Senior third baseman Derek Schiebel (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) and freshman shortstop Michael Gruber (Glenwood, Minn./Minnewaska Area) started the frame with beautiful, back-to-back bunt singles down the third-base line. The two moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt from junior catcher Dominick Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) before junior second baseman Brennan Swan (Plymouth, Minn./Totino-Grace) tied the game with an RBI groundout.

The first two Johnnies reached to start the third inning, but SJU was not able to muster a run.

BU plated what proved to be the game-winning run in the sixth inning.

Michael Bohlke earned the win for BU, allowing one run on seven hits. He struck out four and walked one. Bohlke retired 15 straight at one point, including 12 consecutive from the fourth-seventh innings on a total of 29 pitches.

Senior Alex Kendall (St. Cloud, Minn./Saint John's Prep) suffered the loss (5-5 record), allowing two unearned runs on five hits in seven innings. He ended the season with a 2.83 ERA in 54 innings pitched. Half of his runs allowed this season were unearned (17 of 34).

Sophomore centerfielder Max Jackson (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) led the Johnnies at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance and finished 5-for-8 in the two games. Jackson begins the 2018 season next spring needing two hits to become the 28th Johnnie to reach 100 for a career.