St. John's University Athletics
SJU Baseball Falls to UNLV, Oklahoma State
3/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
SJU lost its fourth and fifth consecutive games, respectively, falling to 1-7 overall.
In the nightcap, the Red Storm jumped on Oklahoma States top pitcher, Nate McCurdy, in the first inning, with senior centerfielder Charlie Bilezikjian (Staten Island, N.Y.) hitting a two-run home run.
The Cowboys loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, but junior starter Tom Klemm (Salem, N.H.) struck out two batters before hitting Rob Watson to force in a run. Rightfielder Daylon Monette followed with a two-run single up the middle to give OSU a 3-2 lead.
The Red Storm tied the game in the top of the second when freshman second baseman Brett Hardie (Toms River, N.J.) lined out to left, scoring sophomore Jeremy Winter (Montville, N.J.), who singled and moved to third on a single by senior Jason Fischette (Staten Island, N.Y.). SJU took a 4-3 lead in the third when Bilezikjian, who reached on an error and moved to third after a pair of walks, scored on a double play.
The Cowboys, however, added six runs in the third and added eight more in the fifth before the game was called after the top of the seventh with St. Johns trailing, 17-4.
In the first game, the Red Storm jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Bilezikjian was issued a two-out walk, moved to third on a single by senior third baseman Jason Kane (Rutherford, N.J.) and scored on a single by junior Ray Downs (New Rochelle, N.Y.).
UNLV scored a run in the second and third, respectively, off freshman starter Jim Wladyka (Rutherford, N.J.), to take a 2-1 lead, but the Red Storm tied the game in the top of the inning when Hardie walked, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Kanes double to center.
The Rebels took a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the sixth inning, chasing Wladyka. The Red Storm narrowed the gap with two runs in the sixth with junior catcher Josh Young (Rochester, N.Y.) and sophomore outfielder Anthony DeRosa (Salem, N.H.) each hitting run-scoring singles, but that was as close as they would get. UNLV added three runs in the seventh, and three more in the ninth en route to the 11-5 win.
Kane went 5-for-9 on the day, with two doubles and one RBI, while Bilezikjian hit a home run, a single, scored four runs and drove in three.
Klemm took the loss in the second game, throwing 2.2 innings and allowing nine runs, all earned on seven hits. Wladyka fell to 0-2 this season after allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits in 5.1 innings.
The Red Storm wrap up their West Coast trip on Saturday, playing host Arizona State at 9 p.m. (ET).
