Marietta Box Score | Heidelberg Box Score

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Saint John's baseball split games against a pair of Ohio schools on Thursday, March 10, at Centennial Park in Port Charlotte, Fla.

The Johnnies (5-6 overall) scored 18 runs after the fourth inning, including a nine-run seventh, to defeat No. 2 Marietta 20-8 in the day's first game. SJU jumped out to a 5-0 lead against Heidelberg, but the Student Princes totaled 22 hits in the game and scored three runs in the top of the 13th inning to hand SJU a 12-9 defeat. The extra-inning loss is SJU's third this season (the other three defeats were by one run each).

SJU set a program record for total bases in a game with 44 and tied a single-game record with six home runs in the win over Marietta. The 23 hits are tied for the fourth-most in school history.

The Johnnies batted .353 (36-102) with 10 home runs on the day, though the opposition batted .404 (36-for-89).

Saint John's 20, No. 2 Marietta 8
A sign of what was to transpire, sophomore third baseman Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) and junior shortstop Matthew Hayford (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes) started the game with back-to-back home runs. The Johnnies, however, left seven men on base through the first three innings.

Marietta (6-2 overall) answered the two solo shots with a run in the bottom of the first inning and gained a 4-2 lead with a three-run homer in the bottom of the third. 

Senior outfielder Soren Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake) singled to start the fifth inning, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher, and scored on a one-out double from his twin brother Ethan Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake). An RBI single from junior second baseman Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) scored Ethan and junior Zach Selchow (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) - who walked after Ethan's double - scored on a throwing error on the play for a 5-4 lead.

Junior Max Nyrop (Alameda, Calif.) and Soren Roe reached thanks to back-to-back, one-out singles in the sixth inning before Ethan Roe launched his first home run of the season - and 14th of his career - with two outs to give SJU an 8-4 lead.

Marietta answered right back with two runs, one earned, to make the score 8-6 in the bottom half of the sixth. That is, before SJU erupted for nine runs in the top of the seventh.

Dauk coaxed a leadoff walk, while Becker (throwing error) and Hayford (no-out fielder's choice) both reached on sacrifice-bunt attempts to load the bases. Nyrop was hit by a pitch to bring in the first run before Soren Roe ripped a grand slam to left for his first homer of the season and fifth as a Johnnie. SJU tacked on four more runs with two outs on a three-run blast from Dauk and an RBI single by Nyrop.

The Pioneers scored one run in the bottom of the seventh, but SJU tallied three more runs - Becker's second homer of the game and a sacrifice fly from sophomore Jordan Amundson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) - in the top of the ninth. MC ended the scoring with a two-out, solo homer in the bottom of the ninth.

Senior Nathan Brandecker (South St. Paul, Minn.) improved to 2-0 on the year, allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked three. 

Sophomore Quinn Krueger (Woodbury, Minn.) surrendered the other two runs on six hits to record the three-inning save in relief. He struck out four and did not issue a free pass.

The Roe twins and Dauk each drove in four runs, while Nyrop and Ethan Roe collected four hits apiece. Eight of the nine Johnnies in the lineup scored a run and had multiple hits.

Heidelberg 12, Saint John's 9 (13 inn.)
The Johnnies loaded the bases in the bottom of the first with three singles, the third of which served as Soren Roe's 100th collegiate hit and 65th at SJU. He collected 35 hits as a freshman at Macalester in 2019. Amundson put SJU on the scoreboard with an RBI single and Ethan Roe followed with a grand slam for the early 5-0 lead. The home run, Roe's 15th of his career, places him all alone in fifth in school history.

The Student Princes scored single runs in the second and third innings, though SJU made it 6-2 in the bottom of the third when Soren Roe reached on an error and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch.

Heidelberg plated three runs (two unearned) in the top of the sixth and gained a 7-6 lead thanks to three straight singles and a sac fly to start the seventh.

Nyrop tied the game at 7-7 with a leadoff, solo homer in the bottom of the eighth inning and Amundson followed with a home run of his own to give SJU an 8-7 lead. The Johnnies, however, stranded runners on second and third with one out to end the inning.

HU countered Nyrop's leadoff homer with one of its own to tie it at 8-8 in the top of the ninth and the game remaining scoreless until the 12th, when the Student Princes took advantage of two hit batsmen and scored the go-ahead run on an RBI single.

Sophomore outfielder Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) kept SJU alive, however, with a game-tying, solo homer in the bottom of the 12th.

Heidelberg scored three runs in the top of the 13th, including a two-run single with two outs.

Junior lefty Casey Trapp (Blaine, Minn./Centennial) made the start and allowed seven runs (five earned) on 14 hits in seven innings. He struck out three in the no-decision.

Sophomore Alex Gwost (Little Falls, Minn.) pitched a scoreless eighth inning, while junior Matt Herold (North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) and freshman Kade Bowar (Burnsville, Minn.) surrendered one run in two innings each. Junior Jack Haring (Ham Lake, Minn./Blaine) took the loss.

Nyrop finished 7-for-10 on the day, while Ethan Roe went 6-for-12 with two homers and eight RBI. Soren Roe went 4-for-10 with five runs scored and four RBI.

The Johnnies take on fourth-ranked North Central (Ill.) for a nine-inning game at 3 p.m. ET Friday, March 11, in Port Charlotte, Fla.