St. John's University Athletics
Six-Run Eighth Inning Lifts SJU Past Columbia, 8-5
4/10/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Junior Mike Tamulionis (West Bridgewater, Mass.) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his second save of the season. An error and a pair of walks put the lead run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth with two out, but Tamulionis got Columbias Nick Solaro, who earlier in the game hit a two-run home run, to foul out, ending the game.
In the eighth, senior third baseman Jason Kane (Rutherford, N.J.) reached third on an error and walks to freshmen Jim Martin (Norwood, Mass.) and Blake Hershelman (Georgetown, Del.) loaded the bases for sophomore Jeremy Winter (Cliffside Park, N.J.), who reached on catchers interference, scoring Kane and cutting the lead to 5-3. A long fly ball to center from senior Bryan Hedgecock (Basking Ridge, N.J.) brought home Martin and a single through the left side from junior Chad Cambra (Taunton, Mass.) scored Hershelman with the tying run.
Senior Billy Graiser (Muttontown, N.Y.) reached on a fielders choice, but Josh Young (Pittsford, N.Y.), pinch running for Winter, scored on a throwing error with the go-ahead run. A single by sophomore Mike Rozema (Fair Lawn, N.J.) put runners on the corners, and Bilezikjian delivered a triple to the wall in right, giving the Red Storm an 8-5 lead.
The Red Storm had taken a 1-0 lead on a Bilezikjian single in the bottom of the first, but SJU starter Tom Klemm (Salem, N.H.) gave up a two-run home run to Solaro in the top of the second. Graisers two-out single to center in the bottom of the second scored Hershelman, who had singled and moved to second on a ground out, tying the game at 2-all.
But the Lions jumped back on top in the third on a sacrifice fly from Derek Johnson, and added two more runs in the sixth, taking a 5-2 lead.
Junior reliever Gilbert Fregoso (San Jose, Calif.) threw 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, before giving way to classmate Keith Hansen (Glen Cove, N.Y.), who threw a scoreless eighth inning and picked up his first win of the season.
Bilezikjian finished the night 3-for-4, with a triple, single and two RBI, while Rozema added a triple, single and one run.
St. Johns returns to play on Friday, hosting BIG EAST rival Georgetown at The Ballpark, beginning at noon. The Red Storm will also play Virginia Tech on Sunday, with an 11 a.m. first pitch. That game has been moved back an hour to accommodate the Hokies travel plans.
