Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Saint John's baseball started the 2022 season with a doubleheader sweep of Wisconsin-Superior, 8-1 and 6-4, on Tuesday, March 1, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

The Johnnies (2-0 overall) clubbed five home runs, batted .500 (12-for-24) with two outs, .556 (5-for-9) with runners in scoring position and recorded 10 RBI with two outs in the two games.

SJU broken open a scoreless game one with five, two-out runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and overcame a 4-3 deficit with three runs in the top of the seventh inning in game two.

Game 1
Sophomore third baseman Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) started the five-run fifth inning with a two-out, two-run double – a ball that the UWS center fielder lost in the lights – and scored on a triple off the bat of sophomore center fielder Rodney Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury). Erickson scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0, moments before junior shortstop Matthew Hayford (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes) hit his first collegiate homer. 

The Johnnies padded the lead with a two-run homer from junior second baseman Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) and a solo shot from Becker in the sixth inning.

Senior Nathan Brandecker (South St. Paul, Minn.) allowed four runs and struck out two in five scoreless innings for the win. Junior Matt Herold (North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) pitched two innings of relief and allowed the lone run, unearned, in the seventh.

Becker finished 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored, and senior right fielder Soren Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake) was 2-for-3 with two runs.

Game 2
Junior southpaw Casey Trapp (Blaine, Minn./Centennial) recorded his first six outs via strikeout, but the Yellowjackets (0-2 overall) started the bottom of the third inning with a double, triple and sacrifice fly to gain a 2-0 lead. 

The Johnnies answered, however, with a pair of two-out runs in the next half-inning. Sophomore left fielder Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) singled and senior Ethan Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake) brought him in with a double. Soren Roe tied the game with an RBI single. 

A pair of doubles gave the lead back to Superior in the bottom half of the fourth, but junior first baseman Max Nyrop (Alameda, Calif.) – a 2021 All-American and 2022 Preseason All-American – tied the game in the sixth with a solo homer.

UWS took advantage of two walks and re-gained the lead on a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth.

Dauk led off the seventh by crushing a full-count pitch to right field for his second home run of the day, and fifth of his career. Becker singled with one out and scored on a double from Erickson, who came around to score on a two-out double from Nyrop.

Sophomore Quinn Krueger (Woodbury, Minn.) earned the win in relief, allowing one run on one hit in two innings. Junior Jack Haring (Ham Lake, Minn./Blaine) pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning for his first collegiate save.

Trapp was tagged with three runs on five hits in the no-decision. He struck out eight and did not issue a free pass in four innings on the hill.

The Johnnies return to Minneapolis for a 5:30 a.m. doubleheader against Bethany Lutheran on Wednesday, March 2.