Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's baseball ended its 2023 season with a heart-breaking 3-2 loss to Gustavus Adolphus in the MIAC Tournament on Friday, May 12, at Haugen Field at Becker Park.

The Gusties' Chris Knowles walked to start the bottom of the ninth off freshman Evan Soeffker (Buffalo, Minn.), stole second and moved to third base on the second out of the inning (a flyout from Nick Azar). The strike zone shrunk for Soeffker as the next two GAC (27-13, 16-4 MIAC) batters walked will full counts. Bryce Novak hit a 0-1 pitch to left-center for the walk-off single.

The Johnnies (23-16, 14-6 MIAC) left eight men on base and batted 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position in the loss to finish 1-for-23 in the two games.

Senior catcher Matt Herold (North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) singled to start the third inning and moved to third base on back-to-back wild pitches. He was left on third base, however, as the Johnnies struck out twice and flew out to left to end the threat.

SJU loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, thanks to a leadoff walk from junior third baseman Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) and back-to-back hit batsmen, but went down via strikeout and groundout.

Gustavus broke the stalemate with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Patrick Timmer hit a double down the left-field line with one out and scored on a two-out single from Novak. Novak advanced two bases two third on a wild pitch and scored on another – a 2-2 pitch – to give GAC a 2-0 lead.

Senior first baseman Max Nyrop (Alameda, Calif.) doubled to start the sixth but was left on base with a groundout and two strikeouts.

Senior center fielder Luke McElroy (St. Paul, Minn./Central) walked with one out in the top of the seventh inning and stole second base. Junior right fielder Rodney Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury) followed with SJU's lone hit with runners in scoring, a single that took off the glove of GAC pitcher Damon Rademacher. McElroy cut SJU's deficit in half when Rademacher's pick-off throw went wide of first base.

Nyrop reached on an error to start the eighth inning, moved to third on a double from sophomore shortstop Jackson Peter (Elrosa, Minn./Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) and scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of junior left fielder Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) to tie the game.

Senior Kody Dalen (Carver, Minn./Chanhassen) allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings for the no-decision. He struck out a career-high 11 batters, including seven looking, and finished with 89 pitches (67 strikes).