Thiel Box Score | Otterbein Box Score

FT. MYERS, Fla. - Saint John's baseball continued its winning ways with a pair of victories on Wednesday, March 6, in Ft. Myers, Fla.

Junior pinch-hitter Joey Stock (Cold Spring, Minn./Saint John's Prep) gave the Johnnies (6-0 overall) a thrilling 10-7 win over Thiel (Pa.) with a two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning in the day's first scheduled nine-inning game.

Senior Jake Dickmeyer (Woodbury, Minn.) followed that excitement with a gem on the mound, allowing three hits with a career-high nine strikeouts in a complete-game, 6-0 shutout of Otterbein (Ohio) later in the afternoon.

The Johnnies jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning against Thiel, thanks to two bases-loaded walks and a two-out, two-run single from senior catcher Mike Reilly (La Canada, Calif./St. Francis). SJU, however, did not find the scoreboard again until the bottom of the ninth inning.

Down 7-4 to the Tomcats (2-2 overall), SJU took advantage of four free passes (two hit batsmen and two walks) to cut the deficit to two. A two-out, throwing error by the Thiel shortstop with the bases loaded enabled the Johnnies to score two and tie the game. Reilly looked to have poked the game-winning hit in the next at-bat, but the shortstop made an acrobatic, backwards catch.

Junior first baseman Aaron Kloeppner (Dayton, Minn./Champlin Park) and junior right fielder Wyatt Ulrich (Indus, Minn./International Falls) reached base with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning via hit-by-pitch. Following a strikeout for the second out, Stock crushed a pitch over the left-field fence for his fifth collegiate homer and the walk-off win.

Senior Bennett Wiggins (St. Anthony, Minn.) allowed one run on one hit, a solo homer with one out in the top of the ninth, in three innings of relief to earn the win. He struck out four and walked three.

The reigning MIAC Pitcher of the Year and All-Region honoree, Dickmeyer retired his first eight batters before an infield single snapped the streak in the third inning. He set down the final 10 Cardinals (2-4 overall) and finished with 109 pitches. Dickmeyer moved into 10th in school history in both innings pitched (157.1) and wins (14-3 career record).

SJU's last nine-inning, complete-game shutout was by Alex Kendall '17 in 2016 (March 21 vs. St. Lawrence). He surrendered four hits and one walk, while striking out six in the Johnnies' 12-0 win next door at PDC #4 (Wednesday's shutout was on PDC #3). 

Junior third baseman Jack Schramel (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) led the Johnnies' cause at the plate against Otterbein, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Senior catcher Caleb Reese (Otsego, Minn./Rogers) opened the scoring with a two-run double in the second inning.

The Johnnies overcame fatigued bats, an offense that batted .188 (6-for-32) with runners in scoring position and 2-for-10 with the bases loaded, thanks to 23 free passes (16 walks and seven hit batsmen) in the two games.

SJU returns to Ft. Myers' Player Development Complex (PDC) for a 9 a.m. ET doubleheader Thursday, March 7, against Elms (Mass.).