Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's baseball split a pair of well-pitched games against Bethel in its home opener on Saturday, April 21, at Becker Park.

The Johnnies (16-4, 2-2 MIAC) rode the arm of junior Danny Kuhn (Alexandria, Minn.) to a 1-0 shutout in game one, but the Royals (16-4, 3-1 MIAC) broke a 1-1 tie with three runs over the final two innings to earn the split with a 4-1 win.

Saint John's 1, Bethel 0
The Johnnies manufactured the game's only run in the bottom of the second inning. Senior first baseman Jeron Terres (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) started frame with a line drive off the pitcher's leg for an infield single, advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore third baseman Jack Schramel (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) and scored on junior designated hitter Thomas Meland's (Northfield, Minn.) RBI single.

Kuhn escaped a pair of threats, one being a first-and-third situation with one out in the second inning, and the other with the bases loaded in the sixth. With one out in the sixth, Kuhn caught a line drive headed for his left foot and doubled up the runner at third to end the inning.

Kuhn allowed four hits and struck out four in six innings to improve to 4-0 on the year. He issued a pair of walks, his first of the season, in the fourth inning.

Junior Jake Dickmeyer (Woodbury, Minn.) pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning to earn his second career save.

Michael Bohlke went the distance for BU, allowing the lone run on four hits. He struck out eight and walked two in his first loss of the season (3-1 record).

Bethel 4, Saint John's 1
The Royals broke a 10-inning scoreless streak (13 innings going back to last season) against SJU when Austin Ledin started the fourth inning with his fifth home run of the season. 

The Johnnies sandwiched a single from sophomore outfielder Wyatt Ulrich (Indus, Minn./International Falls) with walks to load the bases in the fifth inning before junior centerfielder Max Jackson (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) tied it at 1-1 with a sac fly. Ulrich and junior outfielder Jack Wingerd (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) advanced a base on a wild pitch two tosses later, but Ulrich was called out at third base after he over-slid the bag to end the inning.

Sam Horner started the sixth inning with a double and scored on Ledin's one-out, RBI single to give the lead back to the Royals. Michael Wesner started the seventh inning with a single off senior Nick Noack (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Westlake), moved to second on a sac bunt and Horner walked. The two baserunners executed a double-steal and came around to score on Mitch Butvilas' sac fly when Ulrich made a diving catch near the right-field line.

Dickmeyer took the loss, his first of season, after allowing two runs on four hits in five innings of work. He struck out two and did not issue a walk. 

Jackson recorded a single in each game to move into 10th on SJU's all-time hits list with 130. He has also reached base safely in all 20 games this season.

The Johnnies play Macalester at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22, at Becker Park. SJU will be the visiting team in both 7-inning games.