St. John's University Athletics
SOFTBALL SPLITS WITH VILLANOVA
4/22/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Sophomore Courtney Fitzgerald notched her second consecutive shutout against a BIG EAST opponent when she hurled a six-hit shutout against the Wildcats. Not only was this her fifth straight victory, she recorded her seventh shutout of the year and improves her overall record to 16-11 and is 4-3 in the conference. In fact, over her last nine appearances, Fitzgerald has allowed just four earned runs.
Junior Marilyn Brown was the offensive hero for the Red Storm as she blasted her fourth homerun, a solo shot that hit the scoreboard in left field in the top of the third inning. The win was one of the biggest of the year for the Red Storm, who beat Villanova for the first time since 1997 and ended the Wildcats 21-game winning streak. The last Villanova loss came on March 27 when they fell to St. Josephs, 6-3. It also marked the first time the Wildcats were held scoreless all season.
In the second game, the Wildcats took the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI-double by Heather Garboden. SJU starter Gina Calabrese settled down after that, retiring 12 of the next 13 Wildcat hitters. The Red Storm rallied to tie the game in the top of the sixth. Jessica Shepherd led off the inning with a single to left. Amy Crook sacrificed Shepherd to second with a perfect bunt just in front of home plate. Second baseman Alesha Argeras lined a basehit to the right side, passed the diving second baseman, and Shepherd went to third on the play. Then Villanova starter Theresa Hornick grazed the midsection of catcher Lisa Tropea to load the bases with only one out. Tiffany Howerton stepped up and lined a hot shot to the shortstop, who fired home to get a sliding Shepherd at the plate. But Kelly Houghton came through with a clutch two-out basehit up the middle, allowing Argeras to score the tying run. The Wildcats prevented the Red Storm from doing any more damage as centerfielder Lisa Krueger nailed Tropea at the plate, who was trying to score from second on Houghtons basehit.
The score remained deadlocked at 1-1 going into the bottom of the seventh. Cleanup hitter Sara Carlson, who was hitting .425 coming into the game but was 1-for-5 on the afternoon, stepped up and drilled a 3-1 pitch to right center. Houghton and Brown both gave chase, but the ball caromed off the fence and back into centerfield. Houghton picked it up and fired towards the infield, but the speedy Carlson scampered all the way to third base, representing the winning run. The next batter, Krueger, then stepped in and laced Calabreses 2-0 offering to the opposite field to plate Carlson for the 2-1 victory. Calabrese took the tough loss, as she falls to 12-12 on the season and 2-4 in the BIG EAST.
Calabrese has had very strong outings of late, but has failed to receive a plethora of run support from her hitters. In five of the six BIG EAST games in which Calabrese has factored into the decision, St. Johns has scored two runs or less.
After playing 10 games in nine days, the Red Storm will have a few days to catch their breath before the closing out the regular season with five home doubleheaders. On Thursday April 26, the Red Storm host non-conference foe Wagner for a 3:00 twinbill.
