St. John's University Athletics
Stony Brook Races Back to Beat St. Johns, 7-5
4/5/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Garrett Renners one-out RBI single scored the tying run and Alex Trezza hit a two-run home run off of St. Johns junior reliever Greg Holmes (Stony Brook, N.Y./Ward Melville), giving the Seawolves a 7-5 lead. In the ninth, reliever Jeremy Carle squeaked his way out of a bases loaded situation, striking out the final batter for the win.
This was a typical game for us this year, St. Johns Head Coach Ed Blankmeyer said. We struggle to score some runs and we get pretty decent pitching. We had some chances, but we knew it was going to be a tough game.
The Seawolves jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second Dwayne Whitaker reached base on an error and moved to second on a single from Rich Graham. The runners moved to second and third on a balk from St. Johns junior Charlie Bilezikjian (Staten Island, N.Y./Port Richmond) and Lee Lipschutzs groundout scored Whitaker. In the third, Jim McCurdy walked and scored on a double by Renner, giving SBU a 2-0 lead.
The Red Storm were able to cut the margin to 2-1 when junior Billy Grasier (Muttontown, N.Y./Miller Place) singled, moved to second on a bunt, stole third and scored on Bilezikjians sacrifice fly. Stony Brook, however, responded in the fourth. Graham singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and score on Lipschutzs double to center. Lipschutz moved to third on a ground out and then scored on another double to center, this time from Ed Murillo, giving the Seawolves a 4-1 lead.
The Red Storm bats were kept silent by Stony Brook starter Christopher Flinn, who struck out eight batters and yielded only six hits through seven innings. In the eighth, however, the Red Storm scored four runs, taking a 5-4 lead, and sending Flinn to the shower.
Freshman Mike Rozema (Fair Lawn, N.J./Fair Lawn) was hit by a pitch and Bilezikjian walked to bring up senior Chris Fallon (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne). Fallon, who hit 16 home runs last year, sent a 1-1 offering from Flinn over the right field fence, tying the game at 4-all with his second four-bagger of the year. Junior Jason Kane (Rutherford, N.J./Rutherford) hit a two-out single up the middle and promptly scored when J.P. Cirigliano (Flushing, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) doubled to the gap in left-center, giving the Red Storm what would turn out to be a short-lived 5-4 lead.
Holmes came in to close out the game, but Murillo greeted him with a singled up the middle, setting the stage for Stony Brooks dramatic comeback. In the ninth, freshman Josh Stewart (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg Area) and Rozema walked, bringing up Fallon, who was intentionally walked with two out. Senior Eric Potts (Little Ferry, N.J./Ridgefield Park) came up and was called out on strikes on a controversial pitch that appeared to hit him, ending the game.
Fallon went 2-for-4 with a home run, single and three RBI to lead St. Johns (13-12), while Kane went 2-for-4 with a double, single and a run scored.
St. Johns hosts Boston College in a BIG EAST series on Saturday at The Ballpark at St. Johns University.
