Game 1 Box Score |
Game 2 Box Score
FT. MYERS, Fla. – Saint John's baseball suffered its first loss of the season in a doubleheader split with the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (N.Y.) on Wednesday, March 7.
SJU (5-1 overall) clubbed its way to a 12-5 win in game one, thanks to two grand slams from sophomore designated hitter
Joey Stock (Cold Spring, Minn./Saint John's Prep), but surrendered a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning in game two's 4-3 loss to the Mariners (4-1 overall).
Eleven of the Johnnies' 12 runs in game one came on three swings of the bat. SJU committed two errors en route to two runs scored in the top of the first inning, but Stock answered with the first of his two grand slams in the bottom half of the frame. The grand slam was the Johnnies' first since 2015 (Logan Hershey on May 8 in the MIAC Tournament).
Junior third baseman
Thomas Meland (Northfield, Minn.) cleared the bases with a three-run triple in the fifth inning and scored on an RBI single from sophomore infielder
Taylor Fourre (Albany, Minn.). Stock emptied the bases with his second slam, with two outs, in the sixth inning.
Junior
Tommy Auger (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) went the distance, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits in seven innings. He struck out eight and walked five in the win.
Senior second baseman
Brennan Swan (Plymouth, Minn./Totino-Grace) drove in all three runs for the Johnnies, all with two outs, from the No. 9 spot in the lineup in game two. He made it 1-0 with an RBI single in the fifth inning and padded the lead with his first collegiate home run, a two-run shot, in the seventh.
Four of USMMA's seven hits came in the seventh, including three straight to start the bottom half of the inning to chase Stock from the game. Senior
Ben Etzell (Greenbank, Wash./Coupeville), who came on in relief with the bases loaded and nobody out, gave up an RBI single and struck out the next batter for the first out. Back-to-back walks tied it at 3-3 and the game-winning run scored on a sacrifice fly to center.
Three of the four runs were credited to Stock, who allowed six hits and struck out three in six innings for the no-decision.
The Johnnies take on Defiance (Ohio) for two games starting at 9 a.m. EST on Thursday, March 8.