University of St. Thomas Athletics
Saint John's
Edwards, Dorgan shine in Baseball's 1-0 playoff win
5/13/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
By DOUG HENNES
Kris Edwards wasn't about to let another MIAC playoff opener slip away.
The senior right-hander pitched a four-hit shutout and, backed by J.D. Dorgan's RBI double in the seventh inning, led the Tommies to a 1-0 win over St. John's Friday afternoon at Veterans Field in Minnetonka.
It was a nice reversal from last May, when Edwards took the mound for the Tommies in the MIAC playoffs but lost 3-2 to Augsburg on an eighth-inning homerun.
"It's good to be on the other side this year," Edwards said as he improved his 2011 record to 4-3 and helped the Tommies (25-14) win their 10th straight game and 17th of their last 18. "I knew it was going to be a close game because St. John's (19-13) has a great pitcher (Brett Kramer)."
Edwards scattered four hits, struck out seven and had more than twice as many strikes as balls (76-33) in outdueling Kramer and shutting out the Johnnies for the second time this season. He defeated St. John's 5-0 on a two-hit, seven-inning gem April 6 in Collegeville, and now has a career playoff ERA of 1.41.
St. Thomas advanced to the second round of the double-elimination tournament and will play at 2 p.m. Saturday against the winner of Friday night's game between Macalester and Hamline. If the Tommies win they will advance to the championship game at 11 a.m. Sunday; a loss will mean an elimination game at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Edwards was in trouble only once, when the Johnnies put runners on the corners with one out in the seventh on a walk to Connor Cline, a sacrifice bunt and a Max Forster single. But Edwards caught Forster in a trap, threw to second base and shortstop Tim Kahle threw home to Dorgan, who tagged out Cline sliding in from third.
"Coach Olean called that one: fake to third and then look to first," Edwards said. "We usually do that to protect against a squeeze. The runner took off for second. I threw to Tim and he made a good throw and caught the guy at home."
Olean thought Edwards pitched a smart game and got stronger in the later innings. He struck out five of the last six Johnnies, including the side in the eighth, as he mixed an effective slider to balance his best pitch, a fastball.
"Early on, Kris was up in the zone and St. John's had some loud outs," Olean said of the several line drives and long fly balls. "They like to hit fastballs. He made some nice adjustments in the third and fourth innings and turned it on when he had to at the end of the game."
St. Thomas scored its run in the bottom of the seventh. Kahle singled to left, was bunted to second by Drew Cremisino and scored on Dorgan's second double of the day. Dorgan tried to stretch the hit into a triple but was called out at third on a close play.
Both Dorgan doubles came on Kramer sliders, a fifth-inning shot into the left-field corner and the RBI blast to the fence in left-center, as he boosted his team-leading batting average to .406.
"They were good pitches," said Dorgan, a freshman from Eagan. "I was just able to get enough bat on the ball and drive it both times."
Dorgan's dad, Dan, played for St. John's on its 1976 national championship football team, and his godfather also was a Johnnie. A couple of St. John's fans were overheard after the game lamenting that son didn't follow father and matriculate at his alma mater.
"It came down to St. Thomas and St. John's," Dorgan said of his college choice. "I felt the academics were the same and I could have played football at St. John's. But baseball is my game, and that's why I chose St. Thomas."
Olean sure is happy about that choice.
"J.D. is just a great hitter," Olean said. "You might fool him on one pitch - but not two. He really squared up on both doubles and hit them hard."
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