Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

TUCSON, Ariz. – Saint John's baseball split a doubleheader with Concordia (Wis.) on Saturday, March 8.

The Johnnies (4-1 overall) totaled 16 hits to take the opener 9-3, but exchanged 10-run innings in a 16-15 loss in game two. SJU committed seven errors on the day, including five in the second contest. Only six of CUW's 16 runs scored in the nightcap were earned.

SJU batted .457 (32-for-70) with eight extra-base hits on the day. The Johnnies were 13-for-26 with runners on base and 11-for-16 with runners in scoring position in game two alone.

Down 2-0 in game two, SJU scored 10 runs in the third inning but allowed 10 in the Falcons' (5-5 overall) bottom of the fourth and four more in the fifth. The Johnnies scored four runs but left the tying run on base in the top of the seventh inning.

Game 1 – Saint John's 9, Concordia (Wis.) 3
The Johnnies scored two runs in each of the game's first four innings. Sophomore designated hitter Zach Helfmann (St. Louis Park, Minn.) and junior right fielder Brendan Hemr (Blaine, Minn./Centennial) gave SJU a 2-0 lead with back-to-back, RBI singles with two outs in the bottom of the first inning. 

CUW scored three runs, two unearned, in the top of the second inning before junior shortstop Reed Marquardt (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) scored sophomore center fielder Riley Schwellenbach (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) with an RBI triple to tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom half of the frame. Senior first baseman Owen Best (Aurora, Colo./Regis Jesuit) dropped an RBI single into a right field for the go-ahead run two batters later.

Junior left fielder Owen Amrhein (Waconia, Minn.) and Schwellenbach continued the scoring with an RBI single each in the third inning and Helfmann extended the margin to 8-3 with a two-run double in the fourth. Marquardt ended the game's scoring with an RBI single in the fifth inning.

Sophomore Carter Theisen (Rosemount, Minn.) improved his season record to 2-0, allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked four.

Sophomore Hunter Hoen (Belle Plaine, Minn.) pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning to seal the victory.

Senior third baseman Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) led SJU's bats with a 3-for-3 performance, while six Johnnies – Amrhein, Best, Helfmann, Hemr, Marquardt and Schwellenbach – had two hits each.

Game 2 – Concordia (Wis.) 16, Saint John's 15
The Falcons built a 2-0 lead with a single run in each of the first two innings before SJU erupted for 10 runs on seven hits in the third. The Johnnies, however, committed three errors and spotted CUW 10 runs on five hits in the bottom of the fourth inning.

An RBI double from Hemr cut SJU's deficit to one, 12-11, in the fifth inning but CUW responded with four more runs in the bottom half. 

Best started the seventh-inning rally with an RBI triple and scored on a single from Hemr. Freshman Alex Matchey (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) brought Hemr in with a two-out double and Helfmann made it a one-run game with a pinch-hit single in the ensuing at-bat.

Senior Kade Bowar (Burnsville, Minn.) took the loss, allowing four unearned runs in relief after junior Noah Jensen (St. Cloud, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) suffered the same fate on just one hit. Sophomore Brady Drkula (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park) pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning.

Junior Vinny Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) made the start and was tagged for eight runs (six earned) on seven hits in 3.1 innings.

Hemr went 4-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI, while Best was 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored. Hemr is now batting .647 (11-for-17) to Best's .550 (11-for-20) through the season's first five games. Both have eight RBI and three doubles each.

The Johnnies wrap up the trip with a nine-inning game against Carthage (Wis.) at 10 a.m. PT Sunday, March 9.