Game 1 Box Score |
Game 2 Box Score
TUCSON, Ariz. – Saint John's baseball split a pair of seven-inning games with Wesleyan (Conn.) on Sunday, March 17.
Wesleyan out-hit SJU (8-5 overall) by a 12-4 margin in game one's 5-2 loss, but the Johnnies held the Cardinals to one hit in a 4-1 win in game two for Wesleyan's first loss of the season (7-1 record).
Senior
Griffin Larson (Edina, Minn.) improved to 2-0 on the year with another dazzling performance on the mound. He struck out five and issued the lone hit in six innings of work. Larson retired his final 14 batters in order. Wesleyan entered game two batting .338 (77-for-228) with a .557 slugging percentage and .429 on-base percentage through the first seven contests.
Larson now boasts a 0.64 ERA, .089 opponent batting average and 17 strikeouts (to one walk) in 14 innings pitched this season.
The reigning MIAC Pitcher of the Week, senior
Jeremy Klick (Maple Grove, Minn.) set down the Cardinals 1-2-3 for his second save of the season.
Game 1 (Wesleyan 5, Saint John's 2)
The Cardinals opening the scoring with three runs on four singles in the top of the fifth inning. Junior first baseman
Jackson Peter (Elrosa, Minn./Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) walked and senior left fielder
Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) singled to start the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Johnnies stranded them there.
The Cardinals' James Marsden made it 5-0 with a two-out, two-run home run – his fifth-straight game with a homer – in the top of the seventh inning. He entered the day leading all divisions of NCAA baseball with a 1.455 slugging percentage.
The Johnnies erased the shutout with a two-out rally of their own in the bottom of the seventh, but could not complete the comeback. Schleper recorded his second single of the game and senior designated hitter
Owen Best (Aurora, Colo./Regis Jesuit) walked before junior catcher
Blake Mellgren (Northfield, Minn.) smacked a two-run double.
Junior
Connor Hartley (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Rosemount) took the loss, allowing the five runs on 12 hits with three strikeouts in the complete-game effort.
Game 2 (Saint John's 4, Wesleyan 1)
The Johnnies had no trouble getting men on base in the first two innings but could not break through to score. Game two's visiting team had two men on with one out – a single from senior second baseman
Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) and a walk by senior third baseman
Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) - in the first inning and Schleper and senior designated hitter
Andrew Mahlke (Victoria, Minn./Chanhassen) both singled with nobody out in the second, but could not score.
A leadoff hit-batsmen came around to score on an RBI groundout to give Wesleyan a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.
The Johnnies took the lead for good with three runs in the top of the sixth inning, beginning with Becker's game-tying, solo home run to start the frame. The homer was Becker's fourth of the season, third in his last four games, 13th of his collegiate career and served as his 100th RBI (the sixth Johnnie to reach the milestone).
The inning continued when Peter walked with one out, moved to second on a single from Schleper and scored on an RBI single from Mahlke. Schleper gave SJU a two-run cushion when he scored from second base on a fielder's choice.
Dauk drew a leadoff walk in the seventh, proceeded to steal both second and third base, and scored an insurance fun on a sacrifice fly from Becker to make it 4-1. Dauk finished with three stolen bases in the victory.
Schleper led the Johnnies with a 4-for-7 performance and two runs scored on the day, while Mahlke went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate in game two. Becker was 2-for-5 with the homer and two RBI, and Mellgren drove in three.
SJU completes the trip with a 9:30 a.m. PT game against Luther (Iowa) on Monday, March 18.
