Box Score

FT. MYERS, Fla. – Saint John's baseball's third lead of the game held true in an 8-7 win over Hiram (Ohio) on Thursday, March 9.

The Johnnies (4-4 overall) posted leads of 3-0, 5-4 and 8-5, and held on for their third-straight victory. SJU collected 15 hits, including six doubles and a triple, and batted 6-for-11 (.545) with runners in scoring position and 9-for-17 (.529) with two outs in the win. Seven of the team's eight RBI came with two outs.

The Johnnies broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning when senior catcher Matt Herold (North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) was hit by a pitch with one out and came all the way around to score on junior outfielder Jack Schleper's (Shakopee, Minn.) double in the next at-bat. SJU was not done, however, as senior second baseman Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) tripled home Schleper with two outs and scored on an RBI single from junior third baseman Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) to gain a 3-0 lead.

The Terriers (5-2 overall), however, scored four runs to take the lead in the bottom half of the inning. The first two runs came on a one-out single to chase freshman Vinny Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) from the game. Sophomore Tien Foudray (Excelsior, Minn./Holy Family Catholic) posted a strikeout for the second out, but the Terriers executed a double steal to tie the game and took the lead following three-straight walks. Only one of the four runs allowed was earned.

SJU re-gained the lead, 5-4, thanks to three-straight hits with two outs in the top of the seventh inning. Junior outfielder Rodney Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury) doubled with one out and Hiram made a pitching change, going from a lefty on the mound to a righty, after the second out was made. Becker tied the game with an RBI double, followed by a single from senior designated hitter Max Nyrop (Alameda, Calif.) and an RBI double from junior centerfielder Jordan Amundson (Eden Prairie, Minn.).

The Terriers answered with a single run to tie the game in the bottom half of the seventh.

Erickson started the rally once again for SJU in the ninth – this time a single – and scored on Nyrop's RBI double with two outs. Amundson brought Nyrop in with an RBI single and his pinch-runner – senior Luke McElroy (St. Paul, Minn./Central) – scored on junior Owen Best's (Aurora, Colo./Regis Jesuit) pinch-hit double.

Hiram put together a threat in the ninth inning, but baserunning errors led to its demise. The Terriers cut their deficit to one thanks to a leadoff walk and three-consecutive singles. With runners on first and second and nobody out, Herold picked off the lead runner at second and freshman pitcher Evan Soeffker (Buffalo, Minn.) picked off the runner at first for the second out. The third and final out was a groundball to sophomore shortstop Jackson Peter (Elrosa, Minn./Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa).

Sophomore Kade Bowar (Burnsville, Minn.) earned his first collegiate win, allowing one run on three hits in three innings of relief. Soeffker was credited with his first collegiate save.

Vinny Schleper gave up four runs (one earned) on six singles in his collegiate debut. He struck out seven and walked one in 4.1 innings.

Becker and Nyrop each went 3-for-5 at the plate for SJU, which faces Wabash (Ind.) at noon ET on Friday, March 10, in Ft. Myers.