Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

FT. MYERS, Fla. – Saint John's baseball returned to the win column with a doubleheader sweep of Baruch (N.Y.) – 5-1 and 11-3 – on Friday, March 8.

The Johnnies' (5-4 overall) pitching staff held the Bearcats (0-2 overall) to just five hits in 14 innings – a .111 average (5-for-45) – and totaled 24 strikeouts. The offense, meanwhile, batted .351 (20-for-57) with nine extra-base hits (eight doubles and a triple) and took advantage of 12 walks. Eleven of the team's 16 RBI came with two outs.

Game 1
The Johnnies took advantage of an early error to take a 1-0 lead on a two-out, RBI single off the bat of junior third baseman Jackson Peter (Elrosa, Minn./Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) in the top of the first inning.

Senior first baseman Owen Best (Aurora, Colo./Regis Jesuit) doubled to start the second inning and advanced to third base on a wild pitch before freshman catcher Will Wareham (Lakeville, Minn./North) walked to give SJU runners on the corners with nobody out. Baruch's Jeremy Ramirez, however, struck out the next three Johnnies to evade the threat. He finished with 10 strikeouts in five innings pitched.

Benjamin Luciano tied the game at 1-1 for Baruch with an RBI double, on a 0-2 pitch, with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. The run was the first allowed by senior Kody Dalen (Carver, Minn./Chanhassen), the reigning MIAC Pitcher of the Week, which ended his scoreless streak at 13.1 innings to start the season.

Sophomore shortstop Reed Marquardt (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) laid down a bunt for a hit to start the fifth inning, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from senior right fielder Rodney Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury) and advanced to third on a single from senior second baseman Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview). Dauk proceeded to steal second base and a pop-up gave the Bearcats their second out. Senior center fielder Jordan Amundson (Eden Prairie, Minn.), however, gave the lead back to SJU with a two-run double in the next at-bat.

The Johnnies padded their lead with two more runs in the seventh inning. Erickson reached with a one-out, bunt single and scored on Dauk's third triple of the season. The three-bagger, Dauk's eighth of his career, tied him with Jay Kasner '07 and Greg Thoma '94 for the fourth-most in SJU history. Senior designated hitter Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) followed with an RBI double, his seventh of the season, for the 5-1 cushion. The double, Becker's 33rd, tied him with former teammate Ethan Roe '22 for fourth all-time. 

Dalen allowed the lone run on just two hits in five innings. He struck out four and issued five free passes (three hit batsmen and two walks). He entered the game with four free passes (two walks and two hit batsmen) in his first 10 innings pitched this season. The four strikeouts moved Dalen into a tie with Brett Kramer '11 for sixth in program history with 146 in his career (140.2 innings, 14-3 record).

Senior Jeremy Klick (Maple Grove, Minn.) struck out all six batters he faced to record his first save as a Johnnie.

Dauk went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, while Amundson was a clean 1-for-1 with three walks. The three runs scored gave Dauk 125 for his career, which lifted him past Aaron Pfaff '15 for third in SJU history. Dauk added one more in the nightcap and now has 126, eight behind the record of 134 owned by Wyatt Ulrich '20.

Game 2
SJU broke through the scoreless stalemate with five runs on five hits in the bottom of the fourth inning in the nightcap. Senior left fielder Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) and Best started the frame with back-to-back doubles for the first run and Marquardt followed suit with a double of his own two batters later. A groundout moved Marquardt to third and Dauk was hit by a pitch – for the 55th time in his career – before an infield single from Becker made it 3-0. Becker stole second and Amundson cleared the bases with a hard-hit single to first base.

The momentum carried over to the fifth, where the Johnnies added four more runs on just two hits. Marquardt recorded his second RBI of the game with a groundout, while Erickson stroked an RBI double and Becker ripped a two-run single to left field. 

Baruch erased the shutout with three runs, two unearned, in the top of the seventh inning off sophomore Vinny Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.).

Senior Griffin Larson (Edina, Minn.) made his first start of the season and registered a career-high 11 strikeouts in the win. He allowed two hits and did not issue a free pass in five innings of work.

Erickson ended the day with a team-leading four hits (4-for-8), including two doubles, while Becker added a 3-for-8 performance with four RBI. The four RBI pushed Becker into SJU's top-10 list – a tie with Tony Giuliani '99 for ninth – with 93 in his career. 

Amundson finished a perfect 2-for-2 with a double, four RBI and six walks.

The Johnnies complete their spring-break trip with a 9 a.m. ET game against Muskingum (Ohio) on Saturday, March 9.