Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Saint John's baseball climbed into third place in the MIAC standings with a sweep at Augsburg – 7-3 and 14-0 in seven innings – on Saturday, April 25, at Parade Stadium.

The Johnnies (20-12, 10-6 MIAC) batted .365 (23-for-63) on the day, including 13-for-30 (.433) with runners in scoring position, and four pitchers held Augsburg (8-15, 5-11 MIAC) to a .196 average and nine singles (9-for-46).

Junior catcher Mason McCurdy (Lake Elmo, Minn./Stillwater Area) and freshman shortstop Will Koeppen (Minnetonka, Minn.) both went 4-for-8 in the doubleheader and combined for seven runs scored. McCurdy hit two doubles and drove in three, while Koeppen has now reached base safely in each of his last 20 games.

Game 1 – Saint John's 7, at Augsburg 3
SJU erupted for four runs to open the game's scoring in the top of the third inning. Senior left fielder Own Amrhein (Waconia, Minn.) and junior center fielder Riley Schwellenbach (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) were both hit by a pitch to start the frame and Koeppen reached to load the bases when his sacrifice bunt turned into a fielding error. 

Senior right fielder Brendan Hemr (Blaine, Minn./Centennial) brought in the first run with an RBI single in the next at-bat and junior second baseman Alex Matchey (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) followed with a fielder's-choice RBI. Matchey stole second base before McCurdy plated Koeppen with an RBI groundout. Senior third baseman Reed Marquardt (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) tallied the fourth run with a two-out, RBI single.

The Auggies answered, however, with three runs on two hits and three free passes (two walks and a hit batsmen) in the bottom half of the inning. 

The Johnnies chipped away with single runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings. Koeppen padded the visitors' lead with a two-out, RBI single in the fourth and junior first baseman Justin Brooks (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) recorded the same in the fifth. Amrhein ended the scoring with an RBI double with one out in the seventh. 

Junior Matthew Magnuson (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) improved to 5-2 with the win, allowing the three runs on four hits in five innings. The reigning MIAC Pitcher of the week struck out one and issued five free passes (three walks and two hit batsmen).

Senior Vinny Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) allowed two hits and struck out two over the final two innings for his first collegiate save.

Game 2 – Saint John's 14, at Augsburg 0 (7 inn.)
The Johnnies totaled 12 runs – four in the first, five in the second and three in the third – on 12 hits over the game's first three innings. All nine Johnnie starters recorded a hit and/or RBI in the nightcap.

Freshman lefty Dylan Bloom (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) moved to 3-1 on the year with the victory. He surrendered three singles and struck out three over six scoreless innings.

Another southpaw, senior Easton Fleck (Waconia, Minn.), made his second collegiate appearance and completed the shutout in the seventh inning to invoke the 10-run rule.

Koeppen and McCurdy collected three hits apiece. Brooks drove in four with a 2-for-3 performance, while Matchey walked four times and crossed the plate on three occasions.

The Johnnies play host to Northwestern (Minn.) for a pair of seven-inning games at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, at Haugen Field at Becker Park in Collegeville.