Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's baseball closed its third-straight MIAC doubleheader by 10-running the opposition for a split with Saint Mary's on Saturday, April 20, at Haugen Field at Becker Park.

Saint Mary's (17-11, 10-4 MIAC) handed the Johnnies (19-10, 8-4 MIAC) a 5-2 defeat in game one, but the home team responded with five home runs, including a walk-off grand slam from senior second baseman Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) to invoke the 10-run rule in the eighth inning, for a 13-3 victory in the nightcap.

The grand slam was the Johnnies' third in the last seven games and Dauk's second homer of the contest. He ended the day 3-for-6 with the two homers, seven RBI and three runs scored.

Senior center fielder Jordan Amundson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) became the 39th Johnnie in program history to record 100 career hits with a single in the third inning of game two.

SJU recorded 16 strikeouts in 15 innings and held the Cardinals to 1-for-18 with two outs at the plate on the day.

Game 1 (Saint Mary's 5, at Saint John's 2)
The strike zone shrunk for senior Jeremy Klick (Maple Grove, Minn.) in the third inning as a pair of walks that looked to be strikeouts looking reached and eventually led to two runs for SMU.

Riley Bauman hit the first pitch of the fourth inning over the fence in right-center and a squeeze bunt following a triple gave the visitors a 4-0 lead. 



Senior left fielder Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) put SJU on the scoreboard with an RBI single in the bottom half of the fourth inning and junior first baseman Jackson Peter (Elrosa, Minn./Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of senior right fielder Rodney Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury) in the fifth to cut the Johnnies' deficit to 4-2.

Cam Miller doubled to start the sixth inning, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch to add some insurance for Saint Mary's and prove to be the game's final run.

Klick made his first start of the season and took the loss (1-2 record), allowing four runs on six hits in four innings of work. He struck out three and issued four free passes (two walks and two hit batsmen). 

Senior Quinn Krueger (Woodbury, Minn.) pitched the final three innings in relief and gave up the final run on one hit with two strikeouts.

The Cardinals' bottom three batters in the lineup combined to go 5-for-7 with two RBI and four runs scored.

Game 2 (at Saint John's 13, Saint Mary's 3; 8 inn.)
Senior designated hitter Owen Best (Aurora, Colo./Regis Jesuit) gave SJU its first lead of the day with a solo home run, his second of the season, in the second inning. The Johnnies tacked on three more runs in the third inning thanks to a two-run blast from senior third baseman Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) – his 11th of the season and 20th of his career – and back-to-back singles from Amundson (his 100th hit as a Johnnie) and Schleper. The RBI single from Schleper extended his hit streak to 12 games. Becker is now two home runs from the SJU single-season record of 13 set by former teammate Ethan Roe '22 in 2021 and is five from the career record of 25 also owned by Roe. Becker led the Johnnies with a 4-for-7 performance on the afternoon.

Bauman put Saint Mary's on the scoreboard with another leadoff homer, this time in the sixth inning, and another run cut the Johnnies' lead to 4-2. An unearned run in the seventh inning made it a one-run ballgame. That is, until the Johnnies ended the game with nine-straight runs.

Dauk launched his first home run of the game, a three-run shot with one out in the seventh and Amundson answered two batters later with a solo homer, his second of the season and 12th of his career, to give SJU an 8-3 cushion.

The Johnnies scored their ninth run on a passed ball before loading the bases for Dauk's grand slam. The long ball came on the first pitch of the at-bat and served as Dauk's fourth homer of the season and 15th of his career.

Junior Connor Hartley (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Rosemount) improved to 5-2 this spring with the win, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits. He struck out nine and walked two.

Junior Will Fazio (Minneapolis, Minn./Blake) pitched a scoreless eighth inning with two strikeouts in relief.

The Johnnies travel to face Concordia (10-18, 7-7 MIAC) for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader on Tuesday, April 23, in Moorhead.