Box Score
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Saint John's baseball dropped a 6-3 decision to No. 22 Denison (Ohio) on Saturday, March 12, at Centennial Park in Port Charlotte, Fla.
The game was SJU's (5-8 overall) third against a nationally ranked opponent in the last four and the first of Denison's (4-0 overall) six-game trip (and first since March 6).
The Big Red started the game with a triple and double, and plated two runs in the top of the first inning. A hit-by-pitch followed by two straight errors on sacrifice-bunt attempts made it 3-0, but junior pitcher
Cade Marsolek (Savage, Minn./Burnsville) recorded the next three outs, including two strikeouts, to strand the runners on second and third.
Denison extended the lead to 4-0 on a two-out double, which scored a leadoff double, in the top of the third inning.
SJU found the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the third. Sophomore center fielder
Rodney Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury) and junior second baseman
Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) started the frame with singles and moved up a base on a sac bunt from sophomore third baseman
Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.). The two baserunners advanced on an error from Denison's catcher and Dauk scored on an RBI single off the bat of junior shortstop
Matthew Hayford (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes).
DU added to the lead with a two-out single in the top of the fourth inning and had runners on second and third with out in the fifth, forcing a pitching change in the form of sophomore
Quinn Krueger (Woodbury, Minn.). Becker gunned out the runner at the plate on a fielder's choice and senior catcher
Ethan Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake) threw out the baserunner attempting to steal second to end the half-inning.
Becker cut the Johnnies' deficit to 5-3 with an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth, though the Big Red gained the run back with another double, the team's fifth of the game, in the seventh. SJU left the bases loaded in the eighth inning.
Marsolek took the loss, the first of his collegiate career, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits. He struck out six in 4.1 innings.
Krueger gave up the other run on two hits in 4.2 innings of relief.
Dauk and senior right fielder
Soren Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake) led the Johnnies with two hits apiece.
SJU ends its 11-game, spring-break trip against Wooster (Ohio) at 10 a.m. ET Sunday, March 13, in Port Charlotte.