Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Saint John's baseball returned to action with a doubleheader sweep of Bethel, 7-6 and 9-3, on Tuesday, April 16, in Arden Hills.

SJU (21-8, 6-4 MIAC) broke open a 2-2 game with five two-out runs in the top of the fifth inning and held on for a 7-6 win in the opener. The Johnnies scored another five-run inning, this time to pad a 4-3 lead in the ninth inning, to take the nightcap and earn the sweep.

Senior center fielder Max Jackson (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) went 3-for-4 in game one to tie SJU's program record for career hits, 186 by Jed Riegelman '04, and broke it with a third-inning single in game two. He is already the school's record-holder in games played (154) and at-bats (559), and is one run scored from tying the record of 123 owned by Aaron Pfaff '15. The day's two RBI enabled Jackson to become the third Johnnie to drive in over 100 career runs and is now six from the record of 107 registered by Jay Kasner '07.

Junior designated hitter Joey Stock (Cold Spring, Minn./Saint John's Prep) batted 4-for-8 with a pair of home runs, a double and seven RBI in the two wins.

The doubleheader was originally scheduled for last Saturday, April 13, but was postponed due to last week's snowstorm.

Saint John's 7, at Bethel 6
BU (12-11, 4-6 MIAC) gained an early 1-0 lead on a rare bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Jake Dickmeyer (Woodbury, Minn.) recorded three walks and struck out three in the first inning. For the first time in his career, he walked three in an appearance (the 42nd of his career), let alone three in one inning.

Dickmeyer started the bottom of the third inning with back-to-back, four-pitch walks. A sacrifice bunt moved up the runners before a pop up to Dickmeyer served as the second out. The Royals tallied an unearned run on a passed ball, a swinging strike on a high pitch that freshman catcher Ethan Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake) could not handle. Dickmeyer entered the game with four walks in 49 innings pitched this season.

Stock tied the game at 2-2 with a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning. The blast was his third of the season and seventh of his career.

The Johnnies broke open the game with five two-out runs in the top of the fifth inning. Senior left fielder Jack Wingerd (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) started the frame with a double, the 101st hit of his career. Junior shortstop Michael Gruber (Glenwood, Minn./Minnewaska Area) started the two-out rally with an infield single and Wingerd came around to score on an RBI single from junior right fielder Wyatt Ulrich (Indus, Minn./International Falls). Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch before Jackson stroked a two-run single to center. Junior third baseman Jack Schramel (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) brought him in with a double to left and Stock followed with a single up the middle to end Jake Marsh's afternoon. Marsh retired the first 10 Johnnies he faced.

The Royals cut their deficit to 7-6, however, with four two-out runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Parker Mullenbach, who entered the game batting .236 with two extra-base hits (two doubles) in 55 at-bats this spring, jacked a three-run homer and BU added another unearned run.

Both teams threatened but failed to change the score. Ulrich gunned down the potential game-tying run at the plate to end the sixth inning, while SJU loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the seventh and did not tally a run.

Dickmeyer earned the win, improving to 5-2 on the year (18-5 career). He allowed six runs (four earned) on six hits in five innings. Dickmeyer he struck out five and walked five. He became the third Johnnie to pitch 200 career innings (202.1) and is now 11 innings from the school record held by Joel Swenson '99. 

Senior Alex Budde (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) surrendered four hits in two innings of scoreless relief to earn his third save of the season.

Saint John's 9, at Bethel 3
The Johnnies jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to an RBI single from Roe in the second inning and a sac fly from Stock in the third. The Royals answered with a run in the bottom of the third, but senior second baseman Thomas Meland (Northfield, Minn.) extended SJU's lead to 4-1 with a two-run homer in the top of the sixth inning. The big fly was his first of the season and fifth of his career.

Like game one, BU answered right away with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. The potential game-tying run, however, was thrown out at home: Wingerd-to-Wiggins-to-Roe.

Roe doubled to start the ninth and advanced to third when Gruber's sac-bunt attempt turned into a hit. BU's first baseman attempted to catch Gruber too far off third base, but his throw was wide of the mark and sailed into the dugout, allowing the run to score. Schramel made it 6-3 with an RBI double before Stock blasted his second home run of the doubleheader, this time a three-run shot, to end the scoring at 9-3.

Senior Danny Kuhn (Alexandria, Minn.) moved his season record to 5-1, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits. He struck out five and walked two.

Senior Bennett Wiggins (St. Anthony, Minn.) picked up the 3.2-inning save, his first of the season and second of his career, allowing only one hit with four strikeouts.

The Johnnies are scheduled to visit St. Olaf (15-6, 6-2 MIAC) for a 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, in Northfield. The weather forecast, however calls for rain throughout the day. Stay tuned to www.gojohnnies.com and/or SJU's social-media channels for possible schedule changes.