Baseball 4/12/04 -- Augsburg 1-1, St. John's 4-0 (2nd game 9 inn.)

GAME 1 BOXSCORE
GAME 2 BOXSCORE

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. (4/12/04) -- St. John's University's Matt Johnson pitched a complete-game seven-hitter for the victory in the first game, while Augsburg College's Jeremy Nelson (Jr., Maplewood, Minn./Roseville HS) claimed his second shutout of the year with an extra-inning effort in the second game, as the teams split a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader Monday afternoon at St. John's.

The Johnnies won the first game 4-0, while Augsburg claimed a 1-0 win in nine innings in the second game, Augsburg's eighth doubleheader split in its 10 twinbills this year. Augsburg is now 11-12 overall and 3-3 in MIAC play, while St. John's is now 11-9 overall, 5-1 in MIAC play.

The second game was a scoreless pitchers' duel between Augsburg's Nelson and Barry Folkens of St. John's, as the teams remained scoreless until the ninth inning. Nelson struck out two and allowed nine hits while hitting a batter, but St. John's stranded all 10 runners that reached base. Meanwhile, Augsburg had seven hits off of Folkens, who struck out five while allowing one walk, but the Auggies stranded five runners on base.

Augsburg scored its lone run in the top of the ninth inning. With one out, Pat Knafla (Sr., Rice, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice HS) hit a double to right field, his second double of the afternoon. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Collin Nash (Sr., Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS), then scored on a single to center by Troy Deden (So., Northfield, Minn.).

St. John's put runners on base with consecutive singles and had the tying run on third with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Nelson was able to force the Johnnies into a foul flyout and groundout to end the game.

St. John's took the early lead in the first game, as John Hoffer reached on an error and scored on a single by Chris Bell in the second inning. Augsburg tied the game in the fourth, as Andy Nelson (So., Waseca, Minn.) singled and scored on a single by Deden.

But the Johnnies took over the game with a three-run sixth inning off of Augsburg pitcher Darren Ginther (So., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS). Jed Riegelman singled and scored on a single by Jay Kasner, who scored on a sacrifice fly by Brian Mathiasen. Alec Rolle singled and scored on a single by John Hoffer.

Ginther struck out five while not allowing a walk in a complete-game effort for the Auggies, who have had eight complete-game pitching efforts this season.

Both teams return to MIAC action on Tuesday (4/13) with 2:30 p.m. doubleheaders on the road, with Augsburg playing at Hamline and St. John's playing at St. Thomas.