Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's baseball extended its win streak to eight games with a sweep of Carleton – 7-4 and 11-0 in eight innings – on Saturday, April 8, at Haugen Field at Becker Park.

The Johnnies (13-8, 4-0 MIAC) out-hit the Knights (4-9, 0-2 MIAC) by a 23-5 margin over the 15 innings and held them to a .100 batting average (5-for-50) on the afternoon.

SJU was the "visiting" team in both games since the doubleheader was scheduled to be played in Northfield but was moved to Collegeville due to field conditions. 

Game 1
Senior designated hitter Max Nyrop (Alameda, Calif.) became the fifth Johnnie in program history to reach 100 career RBI when he drove in the day's first run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the third inning. He ended the day 5-for-8 with five RBI and is now tied with former teammate Ethan Roe '22 for third all-time with 104, six behind the record of 110 held by Max Jackson '19.

Junior first baseman Andrew Mahlke (Victoria, Minn./Chanhassen) made it 2-0 two batters later with an RBI single, but the Knights cut their deficit in half when they scored a run without a hit in the bottom half of the inning.

SJU added an unearned run on a sac fly from junior centerfielder Jordan Amundson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) in the fifth and two more in the sixth for a 5-1 lead. Sophomore shortstop Jackson Peter (Elrosa, Minn./Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) doubled to start the sixth and scored on an RBI single from junior left fielder Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.). Junior right fielder Rodney Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury) then plated Schleper with a sac fly.

Carleton erased senior Wyatt Rudolf's (Carver, Minn./Chanhassen) no-hit bid in the sixth and the momentum led to three runs, cutting SJU's lead to 5-4. Senior Jack Haring (Ham Lake, Minn./Blaine) relieved Rudolf with a runner on third base and two outs in the sixth, and proceeded to pop the mitt for a three-pitch strikeout.

The Johnnies padded the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning. Nyrop doubled with one out and scored on Amundson's triple down the right-field line, and Mahlke brought in Amundson with a sac fly.

Rudolf tied a season high with 10 strikeouts and improved to 2-1 with the win. He allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits over 5.2 innings.

Freshman Evan Soeffker (Buffalo, Minn.) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for his third save of the season.

Game 2
Nyrop broke a scoreless tie in the nightcap with a two-out, three-run blast in the top of the third inning. The home run, Nyrop's third of the season and 21st of his career, enabled him to break his tie with Jed Riegelman '04 and move into sole possession of second in SJU history, four behind Ethan Roe's record of 25.

SJU increased the lead with five runs in the seventh and triggered the 10-run rule with three more in the eighth. Senior catcher Zach Selchow (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) executed a safety-squeeze bunt to start the five-run seventh, followed by a pair of two-run singles from junior third baseman Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) and junior first baseman Owen Best (Aurora, Colo./Regis Jesuit). Becker plated two more runs with a double in his next at-bat in the eighth and Nyrop followed with an RBI single, both with two outs.

Sophomore lefty Will Fazio (Minneapolis, Minn./Blake) gave up two hits and struck out seven over six scoreless innings for the win (2-2 record). Sophomore Kade Bowar (Burnsville, Minn.) and junior Jordon Huwe (Lakeville, Minn./North) completed the shutout with an inning of relief each.

Becker went 4-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored in game two, while Nyrop was 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs. The two each batted 5-for-8 and combined for nine RBI and six runs in the two games.

The Johnnies travel to face Hamline for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader on Wednesday, April 12, at CHS Field in St. Paul.