Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Saint John's baseball stayed perfect with a non-conference sweep of St. Thomas, 3-2 and 3-2 in eight innings, on Wednesday, March 24, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

The victories extended the Johnnies' win streak to 14 games going back to last season. SJU (9-0 overall) has now won each of the last seven meetings with UST and 12 of the last 15.

Junior first baseman Nathan Brandecker (South St. Paul, Minn.) went 3-for-6 on the day, including a two-run homer and the walk-off, RBI single in game two.

Offense was at a premium, as the two teams combined to bat .170 (17-for-100) on the afternoon.

Game 1
SJU issued eight free passes (seven walks and one hit batsman) through the first three innings of game one. UST (3-3 overall), which entered the day batting .186 (22-for-118) with 11 walks in 33 innings, gained a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second thanks to four straight walks and a sacrifice fly.

Sophomore Alex Otto (Monticello, Minn.) ended the bases-loaded threat in the bottom of the second with a strikeout and eventually earned the win. He struck out four and allowed one hit in 4.1 scoreless
innings of relief to improve to 3-0 on the year.

Freshman outfielder Rodney Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury) started the Johnnies' three-run sixth inning with a leadoff single. Sophomore second baseman Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) followed with a sacrifice bunt, but the catcher's throw was off the mark to second base, placing runners on the corners. Sophomore designated hitter Max Nyrop (Alameda, Calif.) put SJU on the scoreboard with an RBI single and both runners advanced a base on the throw. Junior outfielder Soren Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake) brought in Dauk with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2-2 and Brandecker did the same for the go-ahead run in the ensuing at-bat.

Freshman Kody Dalen (Carver, Minn./Chanhassen) stranded the tying run at third base in the bottom of the seventh to collect his first collegiate save.

Game 2
Brandecker blasted the two-run shot, his first collegiate homer, with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. Nyrop started the half inning by smoking a line drive off the left-field fence, but was held to a single, extending his hit streak to seven games. Brandecker's home run was in a similar spot, 12 rows into the stands, two batters later.

The rest belonged to sophomore southpaw Casey Trapp (Blaine, Minn./Centennial), who threw six hitless innings. The Tommies' Matthew Enck ended the no-hit bid with a leadoff single to start the seventh inning. Trapp recorded his eighth strikeout of the game for the inning's first out and was relieved by Dalen. 

A fielder's choice served as the second out for UST, which was down to its last strike before Josh Thorp singled to put runners on first and second. The Tommies were down to their last strike once again when Charlie Bartholomew dropped a pinch-hit, two-run double down the left-field line to tie the game. The two outs allowed for UST's baserunners to sprint on contact and the short flyball was just missed by a diving Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.).

Sophomore Matt Herold (North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) allowed two singles in the eighth inning but kept UST scoreless.

The Tommies brought in Andrew Tri, who had 26 strikeouts in 13.1 scoreless innings so far this spring, to pitch the bottom half of the eighth. Erickson reached first thanks to a throwing error by Tri and moved to second on a sac bunt from Dauk. UST intentionally walked senior pinch-hitter Trey Cavello (Minnetrista, Minn./Holy Family Catholic) and Tri tallied a strikeout, but Brandecker ripped a single to right field for the walk-off win.

SJU was 3-for-6 with runners in scoring position in the two games, while UST was 2-for-14 (.143) and 0-for-3 with the bases loaded.

The Johnnies return home to host Wisconsin-Superior (6-4 overall) for a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, March 27, at Becker Park in Collegeville.