Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Saint John's baseball split with Macalester but secured its 14th-consecutive trip to the MIAC Tournament on Wednesday, May 1, at Division II Concordia-St. Paul.

SJU (23-13, 12-6 MIAC) countered four Macalester (9-29, 3-17 MIAC) home runs with two of its own and scored all eight runs with two outs in an 8-6 win in game one. The Johnnies, however, managed only four hits to the Scots' 12 in a 3-2 loss – their fifth one-run defeat of the season – in the nightcap. 

Despite the game-two loss, the Johnnies clinched the postseason berth thanks to Carleton's 8-7 win today at Gustavus Adolphus to split their doubleheader in St. Peter. The Knights took an 8-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth and held on with the bases loaded.

The Johnnies batted only .197 (12-for-61) in the doubleheader, including 2-for-18 (.111) with runners in scoring position and 5-for-26 (.192) with runners on base. SJU went 1-for-12 with runners on base and 0-7 with runners in scoring position in game two alone.

The games were moved to CSP's Barnes Field due to the Scots' home MIAC playoff tennis matches on Wednesday (the courts are adjacent to Macalester's Nicholson Field).

Game 1 (Saint John's 8, Macalester 6)
The Johnnies gained a quick 3-0 lead thanks to a two-out rally in the top of the first inning. Senior third baseman Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) and senior left fielder Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) singled before senior designated hitter Owen Best (Aurora, Colo./Regis Jesuit) put SJU on the scoreboard with an RBI single. Schleper and Best then scored when senior center fielder Jordan Amundson's (Eden Prairie, Minn.) fly ball to center was lost in the sun.

The Scots scored three two-out runs of their own, all unearned, on a three-run homer from Matt Odom – his 10th of the season – in the bottom of the third inning.

SJU was gifted an unearned run when junior first baseman Jackson Peter (Elrosa, Minn./Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) reached on an error to start the fourth inning, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a groundout from sophomore shortstop Reed Marquardt (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes), and scored on another wild pitch with two outs for a 4-3 lead. Senior right fielder Rodney Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury) and senior second baseman Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) kept the inning alive with back-to-back walks before the Scots' Raymond McCaskey robbed Becker of a two-run single with a diving catch in left field to end the inning.

The lead did not last long as Hayes Waddell tied the game at 4-4 with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the fourth. 

Amundson put the visitors back in front – 5-4 – with a two-out, solo blast in the top of the fifth inning. The long ball was his third of the season and 13th as a Johnnie.

The two-out scoring continued for SJU with two more runs in the top of the sixth inning. Dauk was hit by a pitch and Becker followed with his second single of the game before Schleper greeted a new Mac pitcher with a two-run double for a 7-4 lead. The two RBI gave Schleper an even 100 for his collegiate career (the seventh Johnnie to reach the milestone).

The Scots were not done, however, as Waddell collected his second solo homer with one out and Josh Planko cut the Johnnies' lead to 7-6 with a home run of his own with two outs off senior Jeremy Klick (Maple Grove, Minn.).

Junior catcher Blake Mellgren (Northfield, Minn.) added some insurance with his second homer in as many games, and fourth of the season, with two outs in the top of the seventh inning.

Senior Griffin Larson (Edina, Minn.) allowed four runs (one earned) on six hits in five innings to improve to 6-0 this season. He struck out seven without a free pass.

Junior Connor Hartley (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Rosemount) pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning with two strikeouts for his first collegiate save.

Game 2 (Macalester 3, Saint John's 2)
The Scots broke the scoreless stalemate with two unearned runs with two outs in the bottom of the third inning and Odom made it 3-0 with a one-out homer in the fifth.

Erickson doubled with one out in the top of the eighth inning and back-to-back walks by Dauk and Becker loaded the bases and forced a pitching change. Schleper brought in Erickson on a fielder's choice in the next at-bat and a throwing error on the play scored Dauk for a 3-2 game.

Amundson was plunked by a 1-2 pitch to start the ninth inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Peter. A wild pitch moved him to third base but he was stranded there with a strikeout and bunt to end the game.

Senior Kody Dalen (Carver, Minn./Chanhassen) took the loss (2-3 record), allowing three runs (one earned) on eight hits in 4.1 innings. He struck out four, which enabled him to pass former teammate Casey Trapp '23 (172) for second in program history with 175. Joel Swenson '99 owns the school record with 201.

Junior Will Fazio (Minneapolis, Minn./Blake) gave up four hits and struck out five in 3.2 scoreless innings of relief.

Macalester's Ben King, who started the day with an 8.19 ERA and .313 opponent batting average in 29.2 innings pitched, stymied the Johnnies for his second win of the season. He induced 13 flyouts and gave up three hits, including two doubles, in seven scoreless innings. King retired his final 10 batters in order.

The Johnnies play host to league-leading St. Olaf (26-11, 16-2 MIAC) for Senior Day and the regular-season finale at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Haugen Field at Becker Park. The new clubhouse's formal dedication and blessing ceremony is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. and the pre-game recognition of SJU's seniors will take place at 12:45 p.m.