Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – No. 20 Saint John's baseball split a pair of nine-inning games with Luther (Iowa) on Saturday, March 23, in Collegeville.

The Johnnies (14-4 overall) took game one with a 6-4 victory but surrendered 21 hits in a 12-7 loss in game two.

The two teams will play the rubber match at noon on Sunday, March 24, at Becker Park.

Saint John's 6, Luther 4
SJU broke open a 3-3 tie with a single run in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh. Senior left fielder Jack Wingerd (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) doubled with one out in the sixth inning and scored on an RBI single from junior shortstop Michael Gruber (Glenwood, Minn./Minnewaska Area). Senior center fielder Max Jackson (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) walked to start the Johnnies' half of the seventh, advanced to second and scored when the throw following his successful steal of third went into left field. Junior third baseman Jack Schramel (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) launched his first collegiate home run that same at-bat.

Senior Danny Kuhn (Alexandria, Minn.) improved to 3-0 on the year, allowing three runs on six hits in seven innings. He struck out four and did not walk a batter. The Norse (6-8 overall) crossed the plate once against senior Tommy Auger (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral), who picked up his fourth career save in two innings of relief.

Gruber went 3-for-4 with two RBI from the No. 9 spot in the lineup, while Schramel collected two hits and two runs scored in four at-bats.

SJU handed Luther's Joey Cardamon his second loss of the season. He was the American Rivers Conference Pitcher of the Year, an All-Central Region first-team selection and All-America honorable mention last spring.

Luther 12, Saint John's 7
The two teams combined for 37 hits in game two. Luther registered four runs in the first three innings and gained a 7-2 lead after seven. The Johnnies cut their deficit to one with four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, thanks to a walk and four consecutive hits, but the Norse answered with five runs in the top of the ninth. 

Senior Bennett Wiggins (St. Anthony, Minn.) took the loss (3-2 record), allowing five runs on 10 hits in six innings of work.

Schramel and junior first baseman Hunter Lindquist (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Totino-Grace) led SJU's bats with three hits apiece. Schramel ended the day 5-for-8 with three runs scored and two RBI.

Luther's Trent Athmann went 7-for-10 at the plate with four RBI and three runs scored on the day, including a 5-for-6 performance in game two. The Norse stole 10 bases in the nightcap and 14 total in the doubleheader.

The Johnnies' top three hitters in the lineup combined to go 0-for-11 in game one's win and 6-for-15 (.400) in the loss. The SJU batters did not record a strikeout in the opener, but accumulated nine in the defeat, five of which came with runners in scoring position.