COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – The Gustavus baseball team split its Sunday doubleheader at Saint John’s, dropping game one 7-2 before rebounding with a decisive 11-2 win in game two. The Gusties move to 22-11 overall and 13-3 in the MIAC, while the Johnnies move to 18-13 overall and 9-5 in the league.
Gustavus 2, Saint John’s 7 | BOX SCORE
After a scoreless first inning, the Gusties took the first lead with two runs in the second. Chris Knowles (Jr., New Ulm) hit a solo homer, his fifth of the season, while Bryce Novak (Sr., Cleveland) later hit an RBI single to score Nick Azar (Sr., Edina).
The Johnnies immediately answered to tie the game in the bottom half after a walk, single, and two-run double. Saint John’s then scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the third. A Johnnie solo homer in the fourth followed by a walk ended Luke Siegle’s (So., Blaine) day on the mound, resulting in his first loss (7-1) of the season.
SJU tacked on another run before the fourth was complete and added two insurance runs in the sixth to secure the win.
Novak led the team at the plate, batting 3-for-4 with an RBI and a double. The bats were kept quiet by three Johnnie pitchers, allowing just five hits.
Gustavus 11, Saint John’s 2 | BOX SCORE
Saint John’s rolled its momentum into game two with a run in the first inning after two doubles and a single. The second and third frames went scoreless followed by the game-tying run in the fourth. Novak hit a leadoff single and later scored on a single by Drake Siens (Jr., Rogers).
The Gusties took the lead for good in the fifth on a solo homer by Logan Bjorkman (Sr., Lindstrom), his fourth of the year. Gavin Baker (Sr., Lakeville) and Siens hit back-to-back jacks in the sixth to make it a 4-1 lead. Baker increased his MIAC lead in home runs to nine, while Siens hit his third of the year, giving the Gusties 31 this season.
SJU cut the lead to two in the seventh, scoring on a throwing error, but the Gusties blew the game wide open in the eighth with six runs on seven hits. Bjorkman bunted home Baker for the first run of the frame, followed by Knowles hitting an RBI single to the left field fence. Azar then found a hole through the right side for another run, forcing a Johnnie pitching change. Patrick Timmer (Sr., Lakeville) ensued with a two-run single and Jack Hanson (Sr., Minnetonka) plated the sixth run of the inning with a single through the left side.
Jayce Luna (Sr., Le Sueur) tossed the first four innings, allowing one run on four hits with a strikeout. Jackson Thielen (Fy., Eden Prairie) came in relief and went three frames with one run on two hits and three strikeouts, earning the victory to move to 4-0 on the mound this season. Brevin Goetz (So., Rochester) threw a scoreless eighth and Damon Rademacher (Sr., Princeton) closed out the ninth.
Siens (3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR) and Azar (3-5, R, 2 RBI, 2B) led at the plate as the Gusties collected 17 hits, matching their season high.
Gustavus is now set for a key MIAC twin bill Tuesday at home against league-leading Bethel. The Gusties (13-3) sit one game behind the Royals (14-2) in the league standings with four MIAC games to play in the regular season.