Game 1 Box Score |
Game 2 Box Score
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Saint John's baseball team's offense came alive at the right time as the Johnnies swept Bethany Lutheran with a pair of 2-1, 8-inning wins on Wednesday, March 10, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
The early-morning start (7 a.m.) may have aided the strong pitching performances. The two teams combined for 15 hits in 31 innings of play, a .140 average (15-for-107), and 40 strikeouts.
Game 1
Junior catcher
Ethan Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake) gave SJU (3-0 overall) a 1-0 lead in game one with his fourth home run of the young season (in seven at-bats) with two outs in the top of the fourth inning.
Bethany Lutheran (0-2 overall) tied the game in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a leadoff double and three consecutive walks with two outs.
Sophomore shortstop
Matt Hayford (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes) singled to start the eighth inning and advanced to second on a passed ball. He then moved up to third when sophomore second baseman
Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) singled for his first collegiate hit with one out, and advanced to second on the throw. Hayford scored the go-ahead run on another passed ball.
Senior pitcher
Nick Penick (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) did not allow a baserunner in two scoreless innings of relief, including three strikeouts to seal the win in the bottom of the eighth, to earn the victory.
Junior
Nathan Brandecker (South St. Paul, Minn.) started the game and allowed one run on two hits in 4.2 innings. He struck out four and walked three. Sophomore
Alex Otto (Monticello, Minn.) relieved Brandecker in a tight spot, the bases loaded, and issued the run-scoring walk. He settled down to end the inning and tossed a scoreless sixth.
Game 2
The Johnnies used a pair of solo home runs to win game two and complete the doubleheader sweep.
Down 1-0 with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, sophomore designated hitter
Max Nyrop (Alameda, Calif.) tied the game with his second homer of the season and third in nine collegiate at-bats.
Freshman outfielder
Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) played the hero role with a walk-off homer to right-center to start the bottom of the eighth. The blast was his first collegiate hit, in his first collegiate start.
Freshman
Kody Dalen (Carver, Minn./Chanhassen) allowed one hit and struck out five in two scoreless innings of relief to pick up the victory.
SJU was held hitless until Hayford recorded an infield single with one out in the bottom of the sixth.
Sophomore southpaw
Casey Trapp (Blaine, Minn./Centennial) made his second collegiate start and gave up two hits in three scoreless innings. He struck out four and walked two.
Sophomore
Cade Marsolek (Savage, Minn./Burnsville) surrendered the lone BLC run on two hits in three innings. Marsolek set down the first six batters he faced until the Vikings' Reed Brown led off the sixth inning with a single, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on an RBI single.
The two teams combined to go 2-for-39 (.051) with runners on base and 2-for-23 (.087) with runners in scoring position.
SJU returns to U.S. Bank Stadium for a noon doubleheader against Northland (Wis.) next Wednesday, March 17.
The Johnnies and Vikings are scheduled to face each other four more times next weekend. SJU visits Bethany Lutheran for a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday, March 20, in Mankato, and returns home to host BLC for a pair of games at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 21, at Becker Park.
