MINNEAPOLIS – The UW-Superior baseball team dropped a doubleheader to open the 2022 season to Saint John's, falling 8-1 in game one and 6-4 in game two at U.S. Bank Stadium on Tuesday.
 
Saint John's scored five runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning to break open a scoreless game in the opener and tallied three times in the top of the seventh in the nightcap to ensure a sweep.
 
Senior left-hander Ryan Rodriguez (Chaska, Minn./Chaska) kept a potent Johnnies' lineup at bay most of his outing, scattering five hits and four earned runs over 4.2 innings with six strikeouts, before junior Nick Fredrikson (Minneapolis, Minn./St. Anthony Village) lost Joe Becker's fly ball to center field in the lights, chasing home both Ethan and Soren Roe for the lead.
 
Rodney Erickson followed with a triple to right field that scored Becker, spelling the end of the day for Rodriguez. On in relief, Matt Tappe (St. Anthony, Minn./St. Anthony Village) uncorked a wild pitch to plate Erickson, and then Matthew Hayford deposited the next pitch over the wall in left for the 5-0 lead.
 
Owen Dauk and Becker clubbed back-to-back two-out homers in the sixth to push the lead to 8-0.
 
Senior Nick Shea (Pengilly, Minn./Greenway) got UWS on the board with a one-out, pinch-hit sacrifice fly to left in the top of the seventh, scoring classmate Gunner Johnson (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior), who started the frame with a walk.
 
Nathan Brandecker limited the 'Jackets to four its in five innings to earn the win on the mound for SJU.
 
Superior jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning of game two when Ben Rhodes (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) led off the inning with a double and Fredrikson lined a triple to left for a one-run advantage. Payton Steiner (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) added a sac fly to double the lead.
 
Saint John's tied the game in the top of fourth with a pair, but UWS regained the lead when Rhodes doubled left with two out, scoring Isaac Fugere (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East), who doubled to begin the frame.
 
SJU again knotted the game, 3-3, on a Max Nyrop homer in the sixth, but UWS again responded to take the lead. Fredrikson flared a single over a leaping Hayford at shortstop that plated Fugere with two out.
 
Saint John's scored three runs in the seventh for the win. Dauk tied it again with another homer before Erickson doubled home Becker. Two batters later, Nyrop hit a run-scoring double to the gap in right-center field.
 
Garcia was tagged with the loss, allowing three earned runs in 2.1 innings. Quinn Krueger earned the win with two innings of one-hit, one-run ball for the Johnnies. Jack Haring worked a clean seventh for the save.
 
Rhodes was 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, walk and run scored for Superior.
 
UWS (0-2) heads back to U.S. Bank Stadium next Tuesday for a doubleheader with Central. First pitch is set for 9:30 p.m.