By
EMILY LOOF
Saint Mary's Sports Information Intern
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota baseball team was hoping to match or improve on their first day results during the second half of back-to-back Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheaders Thursday afternoon.
There was matching all right—unfortunately for the Cardinals, it was Saint John's equaling Wednesday's efforts, as the Johnnies collected their second MIAC sweep in as many days, beating Saint Mary's 4-0 in the opener and 3-2 in the nightcap at Max Molock Field.
Justin Weinberg (Eagan, Minn.) did his part to ignite the Cardinal offense, collecting five hits—Saint Mary's lone single in Game 1, and a 4-for-4 efofrt in Game 2.
Unfortunately, the rest of the Cardinals could not follow suit, combing for just four hits in the second game.
Cardinal starting pitcher
Jonathan Cieminski (Fountain City, Wis.) was able to escape serious damage in both the first and second innings—surrendering just one run in each inning— but the Johnnies tagged the sophomore left-hander for two runs on three hits in the third to extend their lead to 4-0.
Jacob Taschetta (Winfield, Ill.) took over for Cieminski to begin the fourth and led the Cardinals to four consecutive shutout innings, giving up just four hits.
The Cardinals were unable to give Cieminski or Taschetta any offensive support against the Johnnies' pitcher Bennet Wiggins. Wiggins surrendered just one hit—a Weinberg first-inning single—before setting down the Cardinals in order over the final six innings.
Like Cieminski, Cardinal Game 2 starter
John Heim (Lewiston, Minn.) escaped bases-loaded jams in both the first and second innings to keep the game scoreless.
Jack Nelson (Portage, Wis.) replaced Heim to begin the third and held the Johnnies scoreless in the third, but surrendered a lead-off home run to open the fourth.
Austin Lenhardt (Winona, Minn.) replaced Nelson on the mound, and the Johnnies would extend their lead to 2-0 on a Saint Mary's throwing error.
After managing just a pair of hits in the first three innings—a Weinberg first-inning single and a
Jake Mencacci single in the second—the Cardinals answered SJU's two-run fourth with a pair of runs of their own, getting a pair of singles by Weinberg and
Connor Cornell (Plymouth, Minn.), a double by Mencacci, and a Johnnie throwing error to knot the game at 2-2.
Tyler Stilp (Lindstrom, Minn.) took the mound to open the fifth, setting the Johnnies down in order, only to surrender the go-ahead run on three hits in the sixth.
Will Matthews (Geneva, Ill.) singled in the Cardinals sixth, was sacrificed to second, but was stranded, and Weinberg delivered his fourth hit of the game—a two-out single to center—but again Saint Mary's was unable to drive him home.
Along with Weinberg's 4-for-4 performance, Mencacci chipped in a pair of Game 2 hits, and Cornell and Matthews accounted for the other two.
The Cardinals (10-6 MIAC, 16-15 overall) are back at Max Molock Field on Saturday, as they host Hamline in an MIAC doubleheader. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
