Game 1 Box Score |
Game 2 Box Score
TUCSON, Ariz. – Saint John's baseball opened its trip in Tucson, Ariz., with a doubleheader split against Wesleyan (Conn.) on Saturday, March 18.
The Johnnies (5-7 overall) batted 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-7 with two outs in a 3-1 loss to Wesleyan (4-4 overall) in game one, but flipped the script in game two's 12-8 victory. SJU went 7-for-16 at the plate with runners in scoring position in the second contest and 4-for-9 with two outs.
Wesleyan 3, Saint John's 1
The Cardinals started the bottom of the first inning with two singles but needed a two-out single to plate the game's first run. Wesleyan added another run with a bases-loaded groundout and hit a solo home run with two outs in the fifth.
Junior centerfielder
Jordan Amundson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) erased the shutout with an RBI single in the top of the sixth inning. He doubled to start the second inning and did not score.
Senior
Wyatt Rudolf (Carver, Minn./Chanhassen) was saddled with the loss, allowing all three runs on seven singles. He struck out six and did not walk a batter, though he did hit two, in five innings of work. Sophomore
Connor Hartley (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Rosemount) pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Saint John's 12, Wesleyan 8
The Johnnies, like Wesleyan in game one, plated a run in the first inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of senior designated hitter
Max Nyrop (Alameda, Calif.). The RBI enabled Nyrop to break his tie with Tony Giuliani '99 and move into sole possession of eighth on SJU's all-time list with 94. Logan Hershey '16 is seventh with 95.
The Cardinals tied the game with an unearned run in the top of the second inning, but SJU scored two unearned runs of its own in the bottom half for a 3-1 lead.
The scoreboard was busy in the third inning as the two teams combined for 13 runs in the frame. Wesleyan erased the two-run deficit with five runs, including a three-run homer, for a 6-3 lead. SJU, however, responded with eight runs on eight hits in the bottom half and never looked back. Senior catcher
Zach Selchow (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview), junior third baseman
Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) and junior first baseman
Andrew Mahlke (Victoria, Minn./Chanhassen) drove in two runs apiece in the inning.
Sophomore southpaw
Will Fazio (Minneapolis, Minn./Blake) earned the win (1-2 record), allowing seven runs (four earned) on seven hits. He struck out six and walked five in four innings. The first two Cardinals reached to start the fifth, but senior
Jack Haring (Ham Lake, Minn./Blaine) retired the next three batters in order to end the inning. Wesleyan posted two runs off sophomore
Kade Bowar (Burnsville, Minn.) in the fifth inning and senior
Cade Marsolek (Savage, Minn./Burnsville) pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to seal the win.
Becker, Selchow and junior leftfielder
Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) collected three hits apiece in the victory. Becker finished 4-for-7, with two runs scored, a double and two RBI in the split, while Schleper went 4-for-6 with a team-leading three runs.
The Johnnies play a pair of nine-inning games on Sunday, March 19: 9 a.m. MT vs. Concordia (Wis.) and 12:30 p.m. MT vs. Redlands (Calif.).
