Box Score

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Saint John's baseball wrapped up the Port Charlotte portion of its spring-break trip in Florida with an 8-3 loss to No. 24 Marietta (Ohio) on Tuesday, March 5.

The Johnnies (3-3 overall) committed six errors in the loss. The Pioneers (3-4 overall) started the scoring with two unearned runs without a hit in the bottom of the first inning, but SJU answered with three unearned runs of its own in the top of the second. Senior center fielder Jordan Amundson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) walked and junior designated hitter Jackson Peter (Elrosa, Minn./Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) singled to start the frame. The Johnnies faced two outs after a strikeout and Amundson was thrown out at third attempting to steal when sophomore shortstop Reed Marquardt (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) reached on a fielding error, which moved Peter to third. Senior left fielder Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) brought in Peter with an RBI double and junior catcher Blake Mellgren (Northfield, Minn.) cleared the bases with a two-run single for a 3-2 lead. Schleper led the Johnnies with two hits.

The lead did not last long as Marietta plated an unearned run to tie it at 3-3 in the bottom of the second and manufactured a run in the third for a 4-3 lead. The Pioneers scored two more unearned runs, one in the fifth and another in the seventh, and added two insurance runs in the eighth. 

Junior lefty Will Fazio (Minneapolis, Minn./Blake) took the loss, allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits over six innings. He struck out four and issued four free passes (three hit batsmen and a walk). 
Senior Quinn Krueger (Woodbury, Minn.) gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits across the final two innings.

SJU travels southeast for four games March 7-9 in Ft. Myers, beginning with a nine-inning game against Hiram (Ohio) at 9 a.m. ET Thursday.