Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's baseball batted .493 (34-for-69) with 16 extra-base hits (10 doubles and six home runs) in a doubleheader sweep of Carleton on Saturday, April 13, at Haugen Field at Becker Park.

The Johnnies (15-8, 6-2 MIAC) erased a 5-1 deficit with 12-straight runs for a 13-8 victory in game one and erupted for 14 runs over the final five innings of game two – including a walk-off grand slam from senior third baseman Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) to invoke the 10-run rule – in a 20-9 win to complete the sweep. Six Johnnies totaled four hits or more on the afternoon (five scored four runs or more).

Becker finished 4-for-9 with three home runs, 10 RBI and five runs scored in the twin bill. His nine RBI in game two alone tied the program record set by Bob Ilg on April 22, 1959, at Macalester. Becker now has nine home runs on the season and 18 for his career, which are good for fifth-best in SJU history. His 115 career RBI are second, seven from the record of 122 owned by former teammate Max Nyrop '23. 

One SJU record did fall, however, when senior second baseman Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) launched a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning of game one. The run scored broke Dauk's tie with Wyatt Ulrich '20 for the program's all-time record with 135.



Game 1 (at Saint John's 13, Carleton 8)
SJU found the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second inning when senior center fielder Jordan Amundson posted a leadoff double and scored when Carleton's left fielder mishandled a single off the bat of senior left fielder Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.).

The Knights (7-14, 4-4 MIAC), however, responded with a five-run top of the fourth inning on three hits to gain a 5-1 lead.

A solo home run from Becker made it 5-2 in the bottom of the third inning before SJU erupted for five runs in the fourth, four in the fifth and two in the sixth. 

Junior first baseman Jackson Peter (Elrosa, Minn./Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) cut the Johnnies' deficit to 5-4 with a two-run blast in the bottom of the fourth inning – his third long ball of the season and sixth as a Johnnie – and a pair of RBI singles from senior right fielder Rodney Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury) and Dauk kept the rally alive for a 7-5 lead.

Erickson added a sacrifice fly prior to Dauk's three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning and a pair of RBI singles from junior catcher Blake Mellgren (Northfield, Minn.) and sophomore shortstop Reed Marquardt (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) ended SJU's scoring in the sixth for a 13-5 margin. Mellgren led SJU with five hits (5-for-7) on the day.

Carleton's Ryan Chang deposited an 0-2 pitch over the center-field fence for a three-run homer with two outs in the top of the seventh inning for the game's final runs.

Junior Connor Hartley (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Rosemount) went the distance, allowing the eight runs on 11 hits (10 singles) with six strikeouts to improve his season record to 4-2.

Game 2 (at Saint John's 20, Carleton 9; 8 inn.)
The Johnnies jumped out to a 6-0 lead after the first two innings, but Carleton posted a five-run third and tied the game in the fourth.

SJU answered with a three-run fourth inning and never looked back. The home team scored three runs or more in six of the eight innings.

The Johnnies' top-six hitters in the lineup combined to go 15-for-27 with 16 RBI and 14 runs scored in the win.

Senior Quinn Krueger (Woodbury, Minn.) earned the win in relief, allowing two runs on three hits in two innings. Junior lefty Will Fazio (Minneapolis, Minn./Blake) was credited with an unearned run in two innings of work and senior Jeremy Klick (Maple Grove, Minn.) pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Johnnies play host to Northwestern (Minn.) for a non-conference doubleheader at 2:30 p.m. Monday, April 15, in Collegeville.