Game 1 Box Score |
Game 2 Box Score
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Saint John's baseball evened its conference record with another doubleheader sweep on Sunday, April 12, against Hamline at CHS Field.
The Johnnies (13-10, 4-4 MIAC) erased a 2-0 deficit with seven, two-out runs in the second inning en route to a 9-4 win in the opener and overcame another 2-0 deficit for a 4-2 victory in 11 innings in the nightcap.
Three SJU pitchers held Hamline (10-17, 2-8 MIAC) to a .222 average (14-for-63), including .105 (2-for-19) with two outs, in 18 innings on the mound.
Game 1 – Saint John's 9, at Hamline 4
HU started the bottom of the first inning with three-straight singles for a run and added another on a double play for a quick 2-0 lead.
Junior catcher
Mason McCurdy (Lake Elmo, Minn./Stillwater Area) was plunked to start the second and moved to second on a groundout for the second out of the inning. Junior center fielder
Riley Schwellenbach (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) brought in McCurdy with an RBI single to cut the deficit in half and advanced to second base on the throw home. Freshman shortstop
Will Koeppen (Minnetonka, Minn.) followed with an RBI single of his own in the ensuing at-bat to tie the game and a pair of free passes – a walk to junior first baseman
Justin Brooks (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) and a hit-by-pitch to junior second baseman
Alex Matchey (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) – loaded the bases.
Junior designated hitter
Zach Helfmann (St. Louis Park, Minn.) walked to give SJU its first lead of the game before senior third baseman
Reed Marquardt (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) blasted a bases-clearing triple off the fence. McCurdy came to the plate for the second time of the inning and completed the seven-run inning with an RBI single.
McCurdy doubled with one out in the fifth inning and senior right fielder
Brendan Hemr (Blaine, Minn./Centennial) followed him with a two-run homer, his fourth home run of the season and 10th of his career, for a 9-2 advantage.
The Pipers tallied two runs on three hits in the bottom of the seventh to end the scoring.
Junior
Matthew Magnuson (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) earned the complete-game win (3-2 record), allowing the four runs on eight hits in seven innings.
McCurdy finished 3-for-3, while Koeppen and Schwellenbach collected two hits apiece.
Game 2 – Saint John's 4, at Hamline 2 (11 inn.)
SJU was held scoreless through seven innings before Brooks laced a 1-2 pitch to left field for a two-out, two-run single to even the score at 2-2 in the top of the eighth inning.
Hamline scored one run on a bases-loaded walk in the first inning and scratched one more across on a sacrifice bunt in the fifth before freshman lefty
Dylan Bloom (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) and senior
Vinny Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) blanked the home team for remainder of the game.
The top of the order broke through for SJU in the 11th inning after going three-up-three-down in the two innings prior. Koeppen led off with a double and Matchey drove him in as the go-ahead run on a single to right. Junior pinch hitter
Will Wareham (Lakeville, Minn./North) singled as the first batter for a new Piper arm to send Matchey home.
Schleper dealt two quick outs before walking one and surrendering a single. Hamline's pinch hitter drilled a single to right, but Hemr's throw to Koeppen at second caught a Piper tripped up on the basepaths to end the game just before his teammate could cross home plate.
Bloom allowed two earned runs on four hits in eight innings of work in the no-decision. He struck out five batters but issued five free passes (four walks, one hit-by-pitch). Schleper, in three full innings, allowed two hits and struck out three with one walk.
Schwellenbach posted two more hits to finish 4-for-8 on the day and is now tied with Marquardt for the team lead with 10 multi-hit games this season.
The Johnnies travel to St. Peter for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader at Gustavus Adolphus (11-13, 4-6 MIAC) on Wednesday, April 15.
