Box Score
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Saint John's baseball opened its spring-break trip with an 8-4 loss to Ohio Northern on Saturday morning, March 14.
Ohio Northern (10-3 overall), which received votes in the latest D3baseball.com top 25 poll, outscored the Johnnies 7-2 after the fifth inning. SJU (4-3 overall) went 5-for-14 with runners on base, including 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, and 1-for-9 with two outs. Four of ONU's eight runs were unearned due to three SJU errors.
ONU's Kyler Lapp went 4-for-5 with three doubles, a home run, three RBI and three runs scored from the No. 3 spot in the lineup. He opened the scoring with an RBI double in the third inning, but SJU answered with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings for a 2-1 lead. Junior first baseman
Will Wareham (Lakeville, Minn./North) brought in junior designated hitter
Justin Brooks (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) with an RBI double to tie the game and junior second baseman
Alex Matchey (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) gave the home team on the scoreboard a brief 2-1 advantage with his second triple of the season.
The Polar Bears tallied three unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning and registered a two-run homer in the seventh and ninth innings. The two long balls sandwiched an RBI single from senior third baseman
Reed Marquardt (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) in the eighth.
Junior
Zach Helfmann (St. Louis Park, Minn.) ended the game's scoring with a pinch-hit homer with one out in the ninth inning. The round-tripper was his second of the season and 10th of his career.
Junior
Matthew Magnuson (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) took the loss (1-1 record), allowing four unearned runs on seven hits. He struck out four and walked one in six innings.
Senior
Vinny Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) pitched the final three innings and surrendered four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts.
Senior right fielder
Brendan Hemr (Blaine, Minn./Centennial) was the lone Johnnie with multiple hits at 2-for-4.
The Johnnies face Wisconsin-Stevens Point (2-2 overall) for a nine-inning game at 10 a.m. ET Sunday, March 15, in Davenport, Fla.