St. John's University Athletics
Bilezikjian Leads Red Storm Past Fordham, 12-7
4/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
St. Johns had led 5-1 going into the bottom of the third, but the Rams scored four in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. In the bottom of the inning, senior Charlie Bilezikjian (Staten Island, N.Y.) was issued leadoff walk, stole second and scored on DeRosas two-out single through the left side.
Junior reliever Gilbert Fregoso (San Jose, Calif.) threw 3.2 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win, his second of the season.
The Red Storm had jumped on top in the first inning when sophomore Mike Rozema (Fair Lawn, N.J.) and Bilezikjian were issued one-out walks, moved to second on a ground out and scored on an error. In the second, junior Asa Grunenwald (Boalsburg, Pa.) reached on an error, moved to second on a passed ball and to third on a wild pitch before junior Josh Young (Pittsford, N.Y.) delivered him home with a single up the middle.
In the third, Bilezikjian hit a leadoff double to center and scored when senior third baseman Jason Kane (Rutherford, N.J.) doubled into the gap in right-center, giving SJU a 5-1 lead. Freshman Jim Martin (Norwood, Mass.) followed with a bloop single to right, scoring Kane and giving the Red Storm a 5-1 lead.
The Rams, however, bounced back in the bottom of the inning off freshman starter Mike Holden (Suffern, N.Y.), hitting five straight singles and scoring four times to tie the game.
Fregoso relieved Holden with the bases loaded and one out in the third and retired the final two batters to get out of the jam.
The Red Storm took the lead for good in the fifth and added two more in the seventh when Bilezikjian hit a two-run home run to dead center, his 10th of the season, giving SJU an 8-5 lead. Fordham was able to pull within two runs, but the Red Storm added four more runs in the ninth, highlighted by a two-run double to center from sophomore Jeremy Winter (Cliffside Park, N.J.).
Bilezikjian led St. Johns, going 2-for-2, with a double, home run, three walks, five runs scored and two stolen bases and two RBI.
The Red Storm (20-15 overall, 8-6 BIG EAST) travel to Connecticut for a crucial three-game series with the Huskies, beginning on Saturday.
