St. John's University Athletics
Red Storm Sweep UNC-Wilmington
2/22/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
In game one, the Red Storm manufactured six runs on six hits on three Seahawk errors. St. Johns opened up scoring in the top of the first. Lisa Tropea led off by reaching on an error by the shortstop and advancing to second with the errant throw. Jessica Shepherd sacrificed Tropea to third with a bunt and Tiffany Howerton drove her in with a sacrifice fly to center.
The Seahawks answered right back as Gina Calabrese gave up her first homerun of the season to Chrissy Bennett over the left field fence to knot the score at one.
St. Johns took the lead for good in the top of the fourth. Lauren Fisher got things started with a leadoff single to left center. She reached second on an error by the third baseman with Ann Raabs fielders choice. Michele Crokus then laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Marilyn Brown grounded out for the second out of the inning before Cecilia Baston ripped a 1-0 pitch to leftfield, driving in Fisher and Raab. Tropea then drove her first homerun of the season over the left-center wall to add two more runs to the St. Johns lead, putting the Red Storm ahead, 5-1.
UNC-Wilmington added one more run in the bottom of the sixth to close the gap to 5-2, but the Red Storm added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to seal the victory. Calabreses record improved to 2-3 with the win. She pitched a complete game, giving up two runs on four hits while striking out five.
The nightcap featured a slugfest between the two teams, as the Red Storm and Seahawks combined for 14 runs on 21 hits in the game.
The game began much like the first. Tropea reached on an error by the shortstop to lead off. Shepherd reached first on a bunt single, advancing Tropea to second. Howerton was then called out on batters interference before Fisher advanced the runners on a single up the middle. Kelly Houghton reached on a fielders choice and advanced to second on an error by the Seahawks catcher, scoring Tropea and Shepherd.
UNC-Wilmington responded with two runs of their own in their half of the inning, using back-to-back doubles to knot the game at two.
The two teams did not allow a run in the next two innings, until the Red Storm broke the 2-2 tie in the top of the fifth when Howerton scored on a RBI single by Raab. The Seahawks took the lead in the bottom of the fifth, scoring one run off a single by Audrey White and a three-run homerun by Maggie Johnson.
With darkness and rain threatening to shorten the game after the sixth inning, the Red Storm mustered up a six-run rally with two outs in the top of the sixth. Brown led off with a single up the middle, followed by a single by freshman Jessica Dima through the left side. Tropea reached on a fielders choice, with Brown being forced out at third for the first out of the inning. Tropea was then forced out at second on a fielders choice by Shepherd. With two down and runners at the corners, Howerton doubled in Dima, putting the tying runs in scoring position. Fisher then drilled a 1-1 pitch into left center to score Shepherd and Howerton to tie the score at six. Houghton walked on four straight pitches before Raab launched a 0-1 pitch over the leftfield fence for a three-run home run, giving the Red Storm a 9-6 lead.
The Seahawks were then held to just two hits in the next two innings, as Courtney Fitzgerald held on for her second win of the season.
The Red Storm improved to 4-5 with the sweep. They will have a day off before they face Towson on Friday at 11:00 a.m. at the ECU Tournament.
