COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – The Gustavus baseball team handed Saint John’s loses of 9-3 and 7-2 on Saturday, completing the three-game series sweep after claiming an 8-3 win Friday in Saint Peter. The Gusties improve to 9-1 overall and 4-1 in the MIAC, while the No. 22-ranked Johnnies drop to 10-4 overall and 0-3 in the league.
Gustavus 9, Saint John’s 3 | BOX SCORE
The Gusties progressively got better as the game rolled along, scoring single runs in each of the first three innings followed by two runs in the fourth and four in the fifth.
The first run of the day came in the first as Ethan Mocchi (Sr., Champlin) singled home Bryce Novak (So., Cleveland), who started the game with an infield single. In the second, Dalton Thelen (Jr., Cold Spring) started a two-out rally with a single up the middle, stole second, and scored on a single through the right side by Novak.
Cole Pengilly (Sr., Le Sueur) led off the third with a single up the middle, stole second, and scored on a single off the bat of Mocchi.
The Johnnies responded in the bottom half with two runs on two errors, three walks, and a wild pitch. Gustie starting pitcher Christian Johnson (Sr., Buffalo) was able to get out the jam with a strikeout to strand the bases full.
Gustavus got both runs back in the fourth for a 5-2 lead. Novak led off with a double to left center and Pengilly homered deep over the right field fence.
The Gusties scored four more insurance runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach. With the bases loaded, Novak singled up the middle to score two runs. Another run came home on a throwing error. Jack Hanson (Jr., Minnetonka) then hit an RBI sac fly to score the fourth run of the frame.
Saint John’s scored one run in the sixth on a pair of hits, but that was it for the home team as Gavyn Walsh (Sr., Andover) closed out the game on the mound without allowing a run in the seventh.
Johnson earned the win after tossing four and one-third innings. He allowed two runs – both unearned – on six hits with nine strikeouts. Novak (4-5, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2B, SB) and Mocchi (4-4, 2 RBI) led the team at the plate with four hits apiece. The Gusties had 15 hits as a team.
Gustavus 7, Saint John’s 2 | BOX SCORE
After four scoreless innings, the Gusties got on the board first with a run in the fifth. Thelen singled to center, stole second, advanced to third on a single by Novak, and then scored on a fielder’s choice with Hanson getting the RBI.
The Gusties gained a 2-0 advantage in the sixth. Patrick Timmer (So., Lakeville) reached on an error, advanced to third on another error, and scored on a single by Jake Christenson (Sr., Cannon Falls). The Johnnies answered in the bottom half with a run on three singles to make the score 2-1. The home team then tied the game in the seventh after a hit-by-pitch and a fielding error.
Nick Azar (Jr., Edina) and Timmer started the eighth with consecutive walks and moved up a bag on a pinch-hit sac bunt by Luke Johnson (So., Paynesville). Christenson followed with a short fly ball to left field, which was dropped, allowing Azar to score on the error. A passed ball then moved Timmer to third and Christenson to second. Thelen ensued with a high chopper to third base and beat out the throw for an infield single, scoring Timmer. Hanson delivered the big blow with a three-run homer over the left-center field fence for a comfortable 7-2 lead.
Damon Rademacher (Sr., Princeton) benefitted from the five-run eighth to earn the decision. Charlie Hutchinson (Sr., Maple Grove) started on the mound and lasted six innings, allowing one run on nine hits with two strikeouts. Hanson closed out the final two innings on the mound, allowing just one hit with two strikeouts. Hanson also led the team at the plate, batting 3-for-5 with a run, four RBI, a double, and a home run. Hanson now leads the team with five home runs and 20 RBI through 10 games.
The Gusties travel to Northwestern-St. Paul on Wednesday for a non-conference doubleheader.