Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Saint John's baseball rolled to a doubleheader sweep of Martin Luther, 18-2 and 16-0, on Monday, March 17.

SJU (7-2 overall) batted .409 (27-for-66) with six doubles and two home runs – both from sophomore designated hitter Zach Helfmann (St. Louis Park, Minn.) in game one – and took advantage of 20 free passes (15 walks and five hit batsmen).

Nine Johnnies recorded two RBI or more on the afternoon, while 16 registered a hit and 18 scored a run.

Martin Luther (5-4 overall) entered the day batting .335 through the season's first seven games but SJU's pitching staff held the Knights to just four singles – a .087 batting average (4-for-46) – and collected 14 strikeouts in 14 innings.

Game 1 – Saint John's 18, Martin Luther 2
Helfmann gave SJU a quick 2-0 lead with a two-out, two-run blast in the bottom of the first inning and did it again – after junior shortstop Reed Marquardt (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) drove in the Johnnies' third run – in the third. Defensively, SJU ended each of the game's first three innings with a double play. Helfmann has now recorded a hit in each of SJU's first nine games this season and is batting .522 (12-for-23) with four home runs, three doubles, a triple and 12 RBI.

The Johnnies tacked on four more runs in the fourth inning and two in the fifth for an 11-0 lead. The home team on the scoreboard erupted for seven runs, on just two hits, in the sixth inning before MLC broke through with two runs without a hit in the top of the seventh.

Sophomore Carter Theisen (Rosemount, Minn.) moved his season record to 3-0 with the win. He allowed two hits and struck out four in four scoreless innings. Freshman Drew Lange (Albany, Minn./Holdingford) added two shutout innings in relief.

In addition to Helfmann's 2-for-2 game with four RBI and two runs scored, senior catcher Blake Mellgren (Northfield, Minn.) and sophomore center fielder Riley Schwellenbach (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) added two hits apiece.

Game 2 – Saint John's 16, Martin Luther 0
The Johnnies gained another early 2-0 lead in the second inning of game two thanks to an RBI groundout from Schwellenbach and an RBI single from sophomore catcher Will Wareham (Lakeville, Minn./North).

SJU sent 13 men to the plate in the seven-run third inning and scored two runs or more in each of the next three innings.

Senior third baseman Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) went 2-for-3 with two doubles, while Wareham led the way with three RBI. Sophomore Justin Brooks (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) made the start at shortstop and went 2-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. Junior right fielder Brendan Hemr (Blaine, Minn./Centennial) and junior first baseman Collin Kray (Little Falls, Minn.) totaled two hits each.

Five SJU pitchers combined for the shutout. Sophomore Hunter Hoen (Belle Plaine, Minn.) made the start and gave up one hit in three innings but did not earn the win. Freshman Dylan Marciulionis (Esko, Minn.) pitched a scoreless fourth inning for the victory and three others – freshman Isaac Nelsen (Austin, Minn./Pacelli), junior Jack Dobesh (Edina, Minn.) and sophomore P.J. Johnson (Glenwood, Minn./Minnewaska Area) – recorded an inning each in relief.

SJU faces The College of New Jersey (5-5 overall) for an 11:30 a.m. ET doubleheader on Tuesday, March 18, in Auburndale, Fla.