Box Score

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Saint John's baseball exited the MIAC Tournament with a heartbreaking, 11-10 loss in 10 innings to Gustavus Adolphus on Friday, May 13, in St. Paul.

The Gusties (28-13 overall) tied the game at 10-10 on a triple from Drake Siens, his seventh of the season, with two outs and Nick Azar followed with a full-count, walk-off single up the middle.

The Johnnies (24-17 overall) had leads of 6-2 and 7-4, but GAC scored five runs on five hits, two of which were bunts, and an SJU error for a 9-7 lead in the bottom of the seventh.

SJU, however, tied the game at 9-9 with a two-out, pinch-hit double from sophomore Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) in the top of the ninth. The Johnnies nearly took the lead in the next at-bat, but GAC's Dalton Thelen ran down junior shortstop Matthew Hayford's (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes) sharp drive into the right-center gap to end the inning.

The Johnnies looked to be in business in the top of the 10th when GAC's Ethan Mocchi walked the first two batters on eight pitches. Junior designated hitter Max Nyrop (Alameda, Calif.) moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt and GAC elected to intentionally walk sophomore center fielder Jordan Amundson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) to load the bases. SJU took the lead in the ensuing at-bat when senior catcher Ethan Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake) lifted a flyball to short left field that the shortstop caught for a sac fly. 

An error on a double-play ball came back to haunt SJU in the bottom of the first inning as Gustavus plated two runs - on an infield single and bloop hit to no-man's land in left-center field - but left the bases loaded.

The Johnnies scored six runs on four hits in the top of the second inning. SJU loaded the bases without a hit in the second, thanks to two walks and a hit batsmen. Junior first baseman Zach Selchow (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) brought in the first run with a dribbler up the third-base line and Hayford tied the game with a line-drive single through the left side. Becker roped a two-run double to the left-center gap and Hayford scored on a wild pitch. Nyrop extended his hit streak to 20 games (on-base streak to 24) with an RBI single in the ensuing at-bat.

GAC tallied two runs in the bottom of the third when a leadoff double from Siens scored on a one-out triple by Thelen, and Logan Bjorkman followed with a sac fly.

Nyrop extended the Johnnies' lead to 7-4 with a two-out, RBI single in the top of the sixth inning.

Sophomore Griffin Larson (Edina, Minn.) took the loss, allowing two runs on four hits in 3.1 innings of relief. He struck out four and did not issue a free pass.

Sophomore Kody Dalen (Carver, Minn./Chanhassen) made the start and allowed nine runs (seven earned) on 12 hits. He struck out seven and walked two in 6.1 innings.