St. John's University Athletics
Red Storm Baseball Splits Doubleheader with Seton Hall
5/11/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
DeRosa hit a run-scoring triple and double to lead SJU to the win in the opener, but Seton Hall scored four runs in the sixth inning of the nightcap off senior starter Greg Holmes (Stony Brook, N.Y.) en route to a 7-5 win. The loss drops SJUs record to 24-21 overall and 11-11 in the BIG EAST, while Seton Hall improves to 24-24 overall and 10-12 in the conference.
In the opener, the Pirates jumped on top in the first inning on Todd Crawfords double to right off Wladyka. The Red Storm bounced back in the bottom of the inning with two of their own. Senior Billy Graiser (Muttowntown, N.Y.) drew a leadoff walk and scored on DeRosas triple to deep center. A single to left from senior third baseman Jason Kane (Rutherford, N.J.) scored DeRosa, tying the game.
St. Johns took the lead in the second when Graiser walked and DeRosa doubled to left-center, but the Pirates tied the game in the fifth. Anthony Seratelli hit a leadoff single to left, moved to second on a sac bunt and to third on a ground out before scoring on a wild pitch. The Red Storm, however, came back in the bottom of the inning. Senior Charlie Bilezikjian (Staten Island, N.Y.) hit a leadoff single and moved to second on Kanes sacrifice bunt. A single through the right side from sophomore designated hitter Jeremy Winter (Cliffside Park, N.J.) scored Bilezikjian with the go-ahead run.
Seton Hall had a runner on second in the sixth after a double from Ed McDonnell, but Wladyka was able to get out of the jam. Junior Mike Tamulionis (West Bridgewater, Mass.) tried the side in order in the seventh for his fourth save of the season. Wladyka improved to 3-4 this season with the winning, allowing three runs on seven hits, with two walks and one strikeout, in six innings.
In the nightcap, Seton Hall jumped on top in the first on an RBI single from Todd Crawford, but the Red Storm scored three times in the third off SHU starter Elvis Quezada to take a 3-1 lead. Freshman Brett Hardie (Toms River, N.J.) hit a leadoff single, moved to second on an error and stole third before scoring on Graisers single to center. Graiser stole second and scored on a Bilezikjian double to left-center as SJU took a 2-1 lead. Winters two-out single through the left side brought home Bilezikjian and gave the Red Storm a 3-1 lead.
The Pirates, however, tied the game in the top of the fifth on a two-run single from Joey Scott, and added four more in the sixth, taking the lead for good. McDonnell drew a leadoff walk and moved to second when Garrett Weir reached on a bunt. A sacrifice moved the runners up and Ed Williams infield single scored McDonnell with the go-ahead run and Seratellis single up the middle scored Weir, giving the Hall a 5-3 lead. Junior Tom Klemm (Salem, N.H.) relieved Holmes and gave up a single to Casey Grimm, scoring pinch-runner Matt Cuttruff, and Crawford reached on an error, scoring Grimm and giving the Hall a 7-3 lead.
St. Johns added a single run in the sixth on a double from sophomore Mike Rozema (Fair Lawn, N.J.) and one more in the seventh on Winters RBI single, but could not get anything else across.
Holmes (5-4) went 5.1 innings, allowing seven runs, six earned, on eight hits, walking four and striking out five, while Klemm allowed two hits in 3.2 innings of relief. Quezada allowed four runs on six hits, with three walks and five strikeouts, as he improved to 1-5, while Isaac Pavlik threw a scoreless ninth inning for his eighth save.
The Red Storm and Pirates finish their three-game series on Sunday at The Ballpark at 1 p.m.
