Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's baseball lacked the key hit for the second-straight doubleheader in a pair of losses, 3-2 and 4-1, to Saint Mary's on Sunday, March 29, at Haugen Field at Becker Park.

The Johnnies (9-8, 0-2 MIAC) out-hit the Cardinals (13-6, 2-0 MIAC) 15-14 but batted .208 (5-for-24) with runners on base, including a 3-for-18 (.167) performance with runners in scoring position, and 4-for-19 (.211) with two outs in the doubleheader. SJU batted .196 (10-51) on the day, including a 3-for-17 (.176) showing with runners in scoring position, in a pair of one-run defeats (3-2, 6-5) on Tuesday (March 24) at Bethany Lutheran.

Game 1 – Saint Mary's 3, at Saint John's 2
SJU gained a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman shortstop Will Koeppen (Minnetonka, Minn.) coaxed a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from junior second baseman Alex Matchey (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) and scored on an RBI single off the bat of junior first baseman Justin Brooks (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park).

SMU followed a similar formula to tie the game in the top of third when a leadoff walk moved to third on a pair of groundouts and scored on a two-out single from Alex Hanneman. 

The Cardinals gained their first lead of the game with a single run in the top of the sixth inning, but the Johnnies answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the frame. Junior catcher Mason McCurdy (Lake Elmo, Minn./Stillwater Area) stroked a leadoff single and advanced to second on a sac bunt from senior right fielder Brendan Hemr (Blaine, Minn./Centennial). McCurdy made it to third on a groundout and scored the tying run on a two-out single from junior center fielder Riley Schwellenbach (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge). 

Saint Mary's loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning with a hit batsmen, sandwiched by a pair of singles, and scored what proved to be the game-winning run on a wild pitch.

Freshman Max Edwards (Rockford, Minn.) allowed two runs on four hit sin six innings of the no-decision. He struck out six and walked three.

Sophomore Dylan Marciulionis (Esko, Minn.) took the loss, allowing the third run on two hits in 0.1 innings. Senior Jack Dobesh (Edina, Minn.) recorded the final two outs of the seventh inning with the bases loaded.

Brooks and Koeppen went 2-for-3 at the plate to pace SJU in the opener.

Game 2 – Saint Mary's 4, at Saint John's 1
The Johnnies scored first in game two, but the visitors scored four answered runs on a pair of two-run, extra-base hits.

Hemr started his 4-for-4 showing at the plate with a leadoff single in the bottom of the third inning. Senior left fielder Owen Amrhein (Waconia, Minn.) and Schwellenbach followed with bunt singles to load the bases before Koeppen lifted a sac fly to left for the 1-0 lead. Matchey walked to re-load the bases, but Brooks smacked a hard-hit, 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.

SMU's Gavin Schulte hit a two-out, two-run double off the right-center field fence in the top of the fourth and Ryan Csida cracked a two-run homer in the eighth. SJU left the bases loaded in the eighth inning.

Junior Hunter Hoen (Belle Plaine, Minn.) took the loss after surrendering the four runs on eight hits in 7.1 innings. He struck out three and walked three.

Seniors Vinny Schleper (0.2; Shakopee, Minn.) and Noah Jensen (1.0; St. Cloud, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) combined for 1.2 of hitless relief.

The Johnnies visit Concordia (6-9, 1-1 MIAC) for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader tomorrow (Monday, March 30) in Moorhead. The doubleheader was originally scheduled for Wednesday (April 1) but was moved up due to the weather forecast.