St. John's University Athletics
BOSTON COLLEGE SWEEPS SJU SOFTBALL
4/7/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
. In the first game, the Red Storm jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after three Eagle errors. Junior Kelly Houghton drove in a pair of runs in the inning with her ninth double of the season for her 20th and 21st runs batted in. That knocked Eagle starter Brooke Shull out of the game as first baseman TeKae Malandris was summoned to the mound.
St. John's then tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third on a two-run double by Lauren Fisher to extend the lead to 5-0. The Eagles got one back in the top of the fourth on a solo homerun by Cara Blumfield, only the second hit allowed by starter Courtney Fitzgerald to that point. But, just when the Red Storm appeared to have things all locked up, the Eagles put together an incredible five-run rally in the top of the seventh to go ahead 6-5.
It all started with three consecutive singles by the 4-5-6 hitters in the Eagle lineup. After a comebacker to Fitzgerald by Lisa Fischer for the first out of the inning, pinch hitter Jennifer Lombardi reached on a throwing error by third baseman Jessica Shepherd, which ended up costing the Red Storm two more runs, making the score 5-4. With one on and one out, Fitzgerald struck out pinch hitter Erin Mackey. That brought up leadoff hitter Jacqui Goodchild who doubled to left, but left fielder Houghton fired the ball into the infield to hold pinch runner Kimberly Ryan at third. Designated player Jennifer Perrotta stepped in and launched a line drive into left field for for what would prove to be the game winning hit, as Ryan and Goodchild came all the way around to score.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Red Storm were able to get the tying run on board in the form of Marilyn Brown, who led off the inning with a single up the middle. Jessica Dima sacrificed her to second, which brought up catcher Lisa Tropea. Looking for her first hit of the game, Tropea lined a shot to the second baseman Goodchild who speared it and fired to second base to double up Brown to end the game.
Fitzgerald (9-10) took the loss for the Red Storm, after going seven innings, giving up eight hits, striking out five and walking one.
The Red Storm managed just three hits in the game but kept runners on the basepaths thanks to four Eagle errors.In the second game, the Red Storm failed to come up with a hit in the clutch, as they stranded 10 base runners and plated just one, that one coming in the first inning. Tropea drew a leadoff walk and came around to score after an error by the shortstop Blumfield. From that point on, Eagle hurlers Ryan and Malandris combined to strikeout 16 Red Storm batters.
The Eagles couldn't get much going off Red Storm starter Gina Calabrese until the top of the fourth inning when Jennifer Asbury cranked a solo homerun just beyond the reach of centerfielder Dima to knot the game at 1-1. That score would hold up through regulation, forcing extra innings.
The Eagles finally broke the tie in the top of the 10th inning, this time thanks to a Red Storm miscue. Summer Jarratt led of the 10th with a single to left. She then advanced to second on a wild pitch by Calabrese. Blumfield then hit a grounder to third which was fielded by Shepherd who over threw Ann Raab at first, allowing Jarratt to score for a 2-1 Eagle lead. Then Asbury lined a single to right field which scored Blumfield but Asbury was cut down at second on a nice relay from Brown to Tropea to Tiffany Howerton at second. After a walk to Alison Erbig, Calabrese retired the next two batters, but the damage had already been done.
St. John's was unable to pull off the comeback in the bottom of the 10th as Raab, Howerton and Houghton went down in order. The Red Storm are now 2-5 in extra inning games on the season. Calabrese suffered her second straight loss and falls to 8-10 on the year. She pitched all 10 innings, gave up 11 hits while striking out four and walking two.
The Red Storm will look to get back on the winning track tomorrow, April 8, when they host BIG EAST rival Providence in a noon doubleheader at Mitchel Field.
