Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Saint John's baseball's offense started slowly in a doubleheader split with Augsburg on Thursday, April 18, at Parade Stadium.

The Johnnies (18-9, 7-3 MIAC) issued seven free passes (four hit batsmen and three walks) and committed three errors in game one's 4-3 defeat. The visitors recorded only three hits in the loss, two from junior catcher Blake Mellgren (Northfield, Minn.), and went 0-for-7 with two outs. 

SJU erupted, however, for 18 runs on 16 hits in the 18-5, 10-run rule victory in the nightcap. Senior third baseman Joe Becker's (New Prague, Minn.) grand slam to right-center in the top of the fourth inning broke SJU's program record for RBI – 122 set by former teammate Max Nyrop '23 – with 123. The grand slam was Becker's second in the last three games and his 10th home run of the season.

Senior left fielder Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) ended the day 5-for-8 with six RBI and five runs scored on the day. 

Game 1 (at Augsburg 4, Saint John's 3)
Augsburg (6-18, 3-9 MIAC) gained an early 1-0 lead with an unearned run and left the bases loaded in the first inning.

Schleper started a three-run rally in the top of the second inning with a one-out single. Senior designated hitter Andrew Mahlke (Victoria, Minn./Chanhassen) reached on an error and junior first baseman Jackson Peter (Elrosa, Minn./Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) walked to load the bases. Mellgren followed with a two-run single up the middle to give SJU the lead and sophomore shortstop Reed Marquardt (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) brought in Peter with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.

The Auggies cut their deficit to 3-2 in the third and loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth, but senior Kody Dalen (Carver, Minn./Chanhassen) induced a dribbler back to him for the force out at home and struck out two to escape the threat.

Augsburg's Stanley Regguinti, who entered the doubleheader as the MIAC leader in batting average (.439), singled with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning, stole second and advanced to third on a groundout. He scored on wild pitch – a 0-2 count – to tie the game at 3-3.

Senior Jeremy Klick (Maple Grove, Minn.) plunked the first batter faced on his first pitch of the bottom half of the seventh inning. A sac bunt moved the baserunner to second and a groundout to first base, following an infield single, gave the Auggies runners at second and third with two outs. A throwing error pulled Peter off the bag at first to allow the game-winning run to score.

Dalen allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits in the no-decision. He struck out six but walked three and hit three in four innings. The six strikeouts enabled Dalen to pass Connor Cline '13 for third in program history with 167.

Senior Quinn Krueger (Woodbury, Minn.) entered the game with a 2-0 count and a runner on first base with nobody out in the bottom of the fifth inning. He gave up an earned run on two hits in two innings. Klick took the loss (1-1 record).

Game 2 (Saint John's 18, at Augsburg 5; 7 inn.)
Senior right fielder Rodney Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury) started the nightcap with a single and scored on an RBI double from senior second baseman Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) for a quick 1-0 lead.

Peter walked with one out in the top of the second, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out, RBI single from Marquardt for a 2-0 advantage.

The lead would then go on exchange possession over the next four half-innings. The Auggies answered with three runs, two with two outs, on three hits in the bottom of the second. The lead was short-lived, however. Becker singled with one out in the top of the third inning and Schleper smacked a two-run homer with two outs for a 4-3 lead. The long ball was Schleper's second of the season and 13th of his career. 

The lead swung back into the home team's favor – 5-4 – when it plated two more runs, one earned, in the bottom of the third.

The Johnnies broke open the game with seven runs on five hits in the top of the fourth inning. Marquardt walked with one out, followed by singles from Erickson and Dauk to load the bases for Becker's grand slam. Senior center fielder Jordan Amundson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) doubled in the next at-bat and scored on an RBI single from Schleper to make it 9-5. Senior designated hitter Owen Best (Aurora, Colo./Regis Jesuit) was hit by a pitch and three wild pitches brought both baserunners in for an 11-5 advantage.

The home run was the 19th of Becker's career, which ties him with Matt Ode '98 for fourth in program history. The 10 homers are tied for fifth-most in a single season, three from the record of 13 hit by former teammate Ethan Roe '22 in 2021.

A ground-rule double from Schleper, the 40th of his career, gave the Johnnies a 12-5 lead in the sixth and he scored on a two-out single from Peter. Schleper is now one double from the SJU record of 41 owned by Matt Butorac '11. The four runs scored in game two were a career high and his four hits (4-for-5) tied a career high.

Marquardt walked to start the seventh inning and scoring on Erickson's 10th triple of his career. He is now tied with Wyatt Ulrich '20 for second-most in SJU history, one from the record of 11 held by Matt Boys '11.

Dauk walked and stole second before Schleper dropped a two-out, two-run single to center for his fifth and sixth RBI of the game. Schleper advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single from Best to give SJU a 17-5 lead. Mellgren ended the game's scoring when his deep drive forced the left fielder to jump and the ball bounced out of his glove.

Senior Griffin Larson (Edina, Minn.) improved to 4-0 this season with the win, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits. He struck out three and walked four in five innings.

Junior Will Fazio (Minneapolis, Minn./Blake) did not allow a hit in the final two innings of relief.

The Johnnies return home to host Saint Mary's (16-10, 9-3 MIAC) for a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, April 20, at Haugen Field at Becker Park.